Designing for the customer holding a phone.
A mobile-first checklist for making local business websites faster, clearer and easier to use.
For a local business, the customer may discover you while walking down the high street, searching from a car park or checking a recommendation on social media. Their screen is probably small, their attention is limited and they want an answer quickly.
Make the first screen useful
The first screen should communicate the business and offer a sensible next action without requiring a visitor to scroll through a wall of copy.
- Clear headline
- Short supporting message
- One primary call to action
- Important location or availability information
Make buttons easy to use
Small text links can be frustrating on touchscreens. Important actions should have enough space around them and should be visually distinct from ordinary text.
Also consider where your thumb naturally lands. The best mobile interface is not just a desktop layout squeezed into a narrower screen.
Reduce friction in forms
Every field in a form creates another decision. Ask only for information you genuinely need and use clear validation messages when something is missing or incorrectly formatted.
On mobile, every unnecessary step feels bigger.
Performance is part of the design
Large images, unnecessary scripts and excessive effects can make a page feel slow. A clean interface should also be technically lightweight.
Design for the real journey
Mobile-first design is ultimately about empathy. Imagine the customer arriving with one hand occupied, limited time and one simple question. Then build the experience around helping them answer it.