Are You Making This Rookie Web Design Error?

You’ve carefully selected your fonts, colours and images, creating a website that looks brilliant on your 27″ Mac display. But there’s one fundamental mistake you REALLY don’t want to make… and that’s not designing for mobile first.

Mobile is the Norm

As of May 2025, approximately 63% of global internet traffic comes from mobile devices. For online shopping, the statistics are even more striking: according to Shopify, 72.9% of all e-commerce transactions happen on mobile devices. Despite this reality, many businesses still prioritise desktop designs and treat mobile as an afterthought.

Why a Mobile-First Approach is Essential

Mobile web browsing isn’t going anywhere. Mobile overtook desktop web traffic for the first time way back in 2015, and it’s only going to grow. Studies have found that desktop websites have up to 100% higher conversion rates (3% compared to 1.6%), but this gap typically exists because many mobile sites are poorly optimised.

So, imagine this: Your desktop-first site gets 1000 visitors in a day, and your AOV is £10. We can assume 365 visitors will be on a computer, 635 will be on a phone. Based on the above conversion rates, 11 of your desktop visitors convert and you will earn about £110. 10 of your mobile visitors will convert, earning you another £100. But if you don’t scare your mobile users off with your poor UX, you can expect to boost your revenue by 50%.

Users are also far more likely to make impulse purchases on mobile devices. While desktop users often have specific goals in mind, mobile users tend to browse casually, making them more receptive to spontaneous purchases. A well-optimised mobile site takes advantage of this behaviour to drive conversions.

Activities Dominated by Mobile and Desktop

Certain activities strongly favour mobile devices:

• Social Media: About 80% of social media usage takes place on smartphones.
• Entertainment: Approximately 70% of online gaming and digital video streaming is performed on mobile devices.

In contrast, desktop usage dominates activities requiring detailed research or major financial decisions, such as booking holidays, purchasing expensive electronics or completing professional tasks.

Correcting This Common Mistake

Mobile-first design means prioritising smaller screens from the start of the design process. When your site loads quickly, navigates smoothly and provides an intuitive mobile experience, you’ll see increased user satisfaction and better conversion rates.

Neglecting mobile-first design risks damaging your brand reputation, losing potential customers and reducing sales. If you haven’t made mobile-first a priority yet, now is the time to reconsider your approach. Your competitors certainly will.