Why a mobile version isn't just a smaller copy
On a computer, people see the whole page and have a mouse and a full keyboard. On a phone, they get a narrow strip of screen, a finger instead of a cursor, often only one free hand and a spotty connection. That's why what works well on a large screen becomes an obstacle on a small one.
A typical example is a pricing comparison table. It's convenient on a desktop, but on a phone it either runs off the edge or becomes unreadable. In mobile design, a table like this is turned into cards or tabs. Every website has dozens of decisions like this, and we work them out in advance instead of leaving them to the front-end developer's judgment.
Who needs it most
- Online stores, where a large share of purchases starts on a phone and every extra step in the cart means a lost order.
- Service businesses that get calls and messages straight from the website: the call and messaging buttons need to be within easy reach.
- Restaurants, salons and clinics, where people look up the address, hours and booking on the go.
- Websites running social media ads, since most of that traffic comes from phones.
If your customers are mostly office workers choosing complex equipment at their desks, you still need a mobile version, but the priorities will be different. We look at your data, not at general statistics.
Responsive design, a separate mobile site or a web app
Responsive design is a single website that rearranges itself to fit the screen width. It's the standard for most projects: one URL, one set of content, easier to maintain and clearer for search engines. The downside is that the design has to account for every screen size at once, so there's more work than with a single desktop mockup.
A separate mobile site on a different URL used to be common, but it's rarely chosen today: you have to maintain two websites, and their content often drifts apart.
A web app makes sense when people use your website regularly, like a program: ordering, account dashboards, bookings. It can be installed on the home screen and send notifications. Learn more on our progressive web apps page.
What we work out in the mockups
- the first visible part of every page: the headline, the main action and nothing extra;
- menus, search and filters that open over the content and close easily;
- button and link sizes, so a finger hits the target instead of the element next to it;
- forms with the right field types, hints and clear error messages;
- images that carry no extra weight and don't slow down loading on mobile data;
- sticky elements, such as a "Buy" or "Call" button, that don't cover the content.
Speed is part of design too
On phones, people often open websites over mobile data, and every extra second of loading time costs you visitors. Many causes of slowness are built in at the design stage: huge background videos, sliders with a dozen photos, decorative fonts in several weights, animations on every block.
So from the start we consider what can be shown more simply on a small screen: replacing a video with a static image, shortening a slider, getting by with one or two fonts. The website doesn't look any poorer for it, and the page appears on screen noticeably faster.
What to prepare before we start
If your website is already live, give us access to Google Analytics: it shows which devices people come from and where they leave. Desktop mockups or the live site, brand assets and a list of the pages that matter most to you are also helpful.
For a new website, we design the mobile version together with the main one as part of our website design service. That way there's no need to adapt a finished desktop design — both versions are created together.
How we check the result
A mockup on a large monitor and the same screen in your hand feel completely different. That's why we review every key screen on a phone while it's still a prototype. After the front-end build, we test the website on several real devices with different screen widths, in different browsers and in both portrait and landscape orientation.
After launch, we look at the data: how the share of mobile visitors who reach an inquiry or purchase has changed, and whether mobile Core Web Vitals have improved. We draw conclusions once there's enough data, not after the first few hours.
Mistakes we often see on mobile versions
- a newsletter or chat pop-up covers half the screen and has no visible close button;
- the company phone number is plain text instead of a link, so people have to copy it manually;
- catalog filters take up several screens, and the products underneath can't be seen;
- small gray text that's impossible to read in sunlight;
- a form asks for a phone number but opens a regular letter keyboard.
What affects the cost
- Number of page types to design: a landing page or a store with a catalog, cart and customer account.
- Complex elements: tables, filters, calculators, maps, product configurators.
- Starting point: whether there's a finished desktop design with a component system or everything has to be created from scratch.
- Depth of testing: whether the prototype needs to be tested with real users.
We give an accurate estimate after reviewing your website or mockups and discussing your goals.
Frequently asked questions
Can you redesign only the mobile version without touching the desktop? Yes, if the website is responsive and the code allows it. We check the code first, since changes to the mobile version sometimes affect larger screens as well.
Does the mobile version affect search rankings? Yes. Google evaluates websites primarily by their mobile version, so if it's missing content or loads slowly, your visibility suffers.
Do you only design, or do you also build? We can handle both stages. If your team does the front-end build, we hand over mockups with a description of how each block behaves and review the result.
How is this different from app design? An app is installed from an app store and follows its own iOS and Android guidelines. Mobile website design works in the browser and has to be easy to use without installing anything.
Why Promodex
Since 2015, we've launched 750+ projects, and for new websites a mobile version is a required part of our work, not an add-on. Our designers work side by side with developers, so mobile mockups are planned with the build in mind, not just with how they'll look in a picture. After launch, we can support the website and refine the mobile version based on analytics data.
