3 reasons why you should put mobile first

We’ve all heard the term mobile-first, so why do many businesses still consider mobile as a second thought?

Even though mobile technology is an inevitable part of our lives, organisations still argue that users will opt for the ergonomics and ease of larger screens and other physical equipment that tethers to non-portable devices. Force of habit means putting websites at the heart of digital products, or preparing a solution and contemplating it’s fit for purpose on mobile later on down the line.

It only takes a minute to look around you. Wherever you are, on the road, at home, shopping, or even visiting a museum, you will find that almost every other person you encounter will in some way be interacting on their mobile device. We can no longer ignore the fact that mobiles are the key to unlocking our digital futures.

To successfully transform your business product or service and future proof it for years to come, it’s time to put mobile first. Our latest ebook highlights the importance, and urgency, of adopting a mobile-first digital transformation, and if that isn’t enough to convince you, here are our top 3 reasons why you should adopt a mobile-first approach:

The possibilities are endless

And that’s not an exaggeration. Take Uber as an example. When discussing their product proposition if Uber had started by solely looking at desktop functionality, it would never have accomplished the success it has become today.

Artificial intelligence, geo-location and data collection. Facial recognition, voice activation, augmented reality, all of these trends are already part of our everyday life when we use smart phone devices.

If you begin your ideation process by considering mobile technologies, you automatically open up a box of endless opportunities. This isn’t to say that mobile is the answer. But by taking the time to investigate the potential – starting with what you expect your physical customer journey to be, you will find the innovations are more readily available and the opportunities to find a competitive edge become easier when you begin to put mobile first.

Optimum user experience

This isn’t just about the design. Creating an optimum user experience is integral to the success of any digital product or service. In this day and age users expect their online applications (wherever they find them) to play a greater role in their lives.

Adopting a mobile approach enables you as a business to start thinking about what is best for your audience. The majority of whom will be expecting a fast, frictionless process that they can access how and when they want. The best way to do that? Make sure that their journey includes mobile technology, harnesses the potential it offers and delivers a solution that fits into the everyday life of your target customer.

Desktop experiences can’t be ignored, but they have become transactional experiences, users can only access them when they have the time to physically sit down and switch on their laptop or desktop. Build for mobile, and you can access your user 24-7, wherever they are.

Scale quickly and easily

One of the biggest advantages with mobile-first, is that the ability to scale is much easier when you begin with mobile technologies. By acknowledging mobile early on in the project, your tech teams will be able to build the most efficient and agile framework from the beginning.

It’s important to always ensure that the ecosystem you create for your digital products and services has the ability to adapt to new technologies, flex and change as the market so often does. In most instances, if you decide to prepare for mobile at a later stage in your lifecycle, in our experience we have found that this eventually leads to an additional overhaul in order to develop the correct framework to sustain and maintain each of the digital channels.

Getting the right foundations in place by planning ahead and putting mobile first, will position you in a stronger position to continue to develop and drive forward your business objectives.

To find our more about mobile-first digital transformation download our latest ebook: Last Call: Mobile-First Digital Transformation