It’s not enough to say that you need to have a mobile-first strategy. Instead, you need to have the right approach to your mobile-first strategy. As mentioned, this starts by thinking about the user experience, but there is a bit more to it.

For example, content. In a desktop world, content is king. Video, long-form articles, whitepapers, etc. These tools have been around for years and while they are still important, they are not most important in a mobile-first world.

Then you have e-commerce. More people are shopping online than ever, and there are more Americans conducting searches on their phones than on desktop. This means that not only do you need mobile-friendly design with platforms like SquareSpace, but you also need mobile friendly merchant solutions like T1 Payments.

Focus on succinct content on mobile devices. This is not the 140-character limit we used to have with Twitter, but it does highlight the need to be detailed and brief at the same time.

For example, single-sentence paragraphs are critical when writing for a mobile-first website.

The reason for this is simple. Mobile devices come in all shapes and sizes.

As such, it makes sense to be sure your content can be easily digested on as many devices shapes and sizes as possible.

Beyond this, you want to make sure your site is easy to navigate as possible. Users like simplicity and this make for a better experience, which also means that they will be more likely to return and even to recommend your site.

In terms of keeping things simple you can:

1. Cut back on the number of pages
2. Add a search function that works
3. Have more white space
4. Use an easy-to-read font
5. No more than two columns
6. Don’t use tiny buttons

Take small, simple steps that make a big difference. For example, why not start by reworking your call to action to optimize it for mobile readers?

What does this mean? For starters make sure that your links are mobile responsive. If you don’t then you risk turning away potential customers. Imagine you are running a small business digital marketing company, but your links don’t work on your mobile site; what a disaster.

Two more issues are lead generation forms which do not render correctly on mobile sites or using a chatbot which cannot integrate with SMS or a messaging app. However, the good news is that both of these issues can be caught and corrected. It just starts by recognizing that the mobile website is the only one which matters.

Your customers aren’t using their desktop to visit websites, you aren’t using your desktop to visit websites; so why are you still designing your website with the desktop in mind?

To create a website which your customers will love, which Google will love, then you need to go mobile-first or you might as well not have a web presence.