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Say Goodbye to These Mobile Design Elements (Part 2)

Since it’s already 2019, I thought of compiling a series of mobile design elements that you should ditch. It’s just timely and relevant to declutter and improve your website for the better. If your mobile design elements do not work like it used to, it’s time to replace it with newer features. So, follow these tips to enhance user experience and scannability.

  • STICKY NOTES

    • Even in websites, there are sticky notes. There are design elements icons that are placed on one corner. As you move through the page, it sticks to its position. Whenever the user needs it, it is readily available.
    • Examples of these sticky web elements would be a live chat feature, or a feedback button. So, wherever you may be in a website, you can easily find the helpful button ready to help whenever something goes wrong. On desktop, these sticky elements are really effective.
    • However, on mobile-first websites, it wouldn’t work. Yes, they’re just tiny icons, but it blocks the content on your website. Since it acts like a sticky note, it will follow you everywhere, and it is placed over any text or image.
    • These sticky elements are more of a distraction on mobile sites because it they are distinct and easy to identify so that web visitors can easily click it whenever they need assistance. But when you don’t need help, it’s a source of frustration and inconvenience. So, my point is that sticky icons are not advisable on mobile.
    • Don’t let ’em block the view. If you think this feature is important in your website, at least, give your web visitors the liberty to dismiss these sticky elements. Another solution is to change these icons to social media share buttons. Instead of offering help, give your visitors the convenience to easily share the article they’re reading.
    • This way, these sticky elements are not annoying. Instead, they help you boost your interactions and engagements on social media. They will able to share your website to their circle of friends online.
A website that provides a good navigation and search function.

A website that provides a good navigation and search function.

  • UNNECESSARY CONTENT

    • Believe or not, there moments are even content is a website’s major problem. Sometimes, it’s not just about these web elements. You also need to cut down on content that is not needed to be there.
    • Don’t stress your web visitors too much information on the homepage alone. There’s this website that has content above the header. This is a huge NO! Your header is important in terms of navigation so it should be on top at all times. Don’t try to put anything else above it. The elements on top should always be your logo and then navigation. How will people navigate through your website if your header is overruled by needless content?
    • This is why you shouldn’t prioritize promotion over navigation. Don’t be the obstacle on achieving smooth mobile experience. Instead of providing too much content on the main page, why not add a search feature? That way, your header gets undivided attention, and at the same time, your users can search for something they actually want.

That’s it! I hope I have provided you with some important insights this new year. Need to recap part 1? Click here.

Say Goodbye to These Mobile Design Elements (Part 1)

It’s 2019! Out with the old mobile design elements, and in with the new features. It’s time to do an annual clean up on your website to enhance browsing experience. If you want to create a more responsive and more polished website, these tips will immensely help your evolving website this 2019.

Two Women Holding Their Phones

Two Women Holding Their Phones

So, don’t hesitate to ditch the following design elements.

  • SIDEBARS
    • A sidebar divides your website into distinct sections, like news, blog, store, and so on. This design element has been handy for lots of websites for a long time. It is easier web visitors to find sections that they like. However, with mobile device usage increasing over time, the sidebar isn’t the right solution.  Yes, for desktop, it is. For mobile, nope!
    • Usually, mobile websites tend to focus on highlighting their social media accounts, promoting merch on the shop, signing up for email list, adding more ads for more items or web content, and recommending related posts.
    • If Twitter is where your followers are, link it on your website. Web visitors will be able to view your live Twitter feed. They will know the latest updates about your products, and they will also read about what other people are saying. Don’t forget to add your social media buttons. So, new visitors can easily follow or subscribe to your feed.
    • To ensure an agile and free-flowing experience, I would suggest not adding forms on mobile sites.  Multiple forms are totally unnecessary and it would not guarantee a smooth user experience. If you have a lengthy form for your users to fill out, the desktop version would be the better choice. If you really need to add a form, find a platform that works well with your mobile-centric website.
    • For blog posts, don’t focus on images. Instead, make sure titles are text links. So, when readers click on a tile, it will redirect to the specific post.  After each post, you should provide links to other articles or provide easy navigation to the previous (or next) blog post. It’s an efficient to help the readers move from one point to another without too much hassle.
  • POP-UPS
    • Pop-ups are annoying even on desktop! Seriously, stop with those interring pop-ups that no one really cares about. If you are really serious with improving user experience, then, say goodbye to these pesky pop-ups that suddenly emerges out of nowhere.
    • I’m sure you’ve experienced pop-ups numerous times, and you can attest that they are not a good idea. They are an obstruction to what your web visitors are reading because it is blocking some important content of your website.
    • Sometimes, websites are quite redundant. On their main banner, an existing promo is advertised. On the pop-up, the same thing is shown. At least, show a different promotion on the pop-up like Free Shipping on ALL orders. That way, you will get the viewers’ attention. Still, I don’t recommend adding pop-ups on your home page or any part of your website. It’s one sure way to scare away customers!

There are still more design elements to be discussed on future posts. Keep an eye on it or visit this page from time to time because I will surely provide a link for part 2!

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