What are Core Web Vitals?
Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics developed by Google to measure the user experience of a webpage. They focus on three main aspects:
Loading Performance: Measured by Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which tracks how quickly the main content of a page loads. A good LCP score is within the first 2.5 seconds of the page starting to load.
Interactivity: Measured by Interaction to Next Paint (INP), which gauges how quickly a page responds to user interactions. A good INP score is less than 200 milliseconds
Visual Stability: Measured by Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), which assesses how stable the content is as it loads. A good CLS score is less than 0.
Other factors contribute to the overall web experience:
Mobile-Friendliness: Ensuring your site is optimised for mobile devices. This includes responsive design and easy navigation on smaller screens.
Safe Browsing: Protecting users from malware, phishing, and other harmful content. Google checks for these issues to ensure a safe browsing experience.
HTTPS Security: Using HTTPS to secure your site. This helps protect user data and is a trust signal for visitors.
No Intrusive Interstitials: Avoiding pop-ups and other intrusive elements that can disrupt the user experience, especially on mobile devices.
How to Optimise Your Website for Mobile Devices?
Responsive Design: Use a responsive design framework like Bootstrap or CSS media queries to ensure your site adapts to different screen sizes and orientations.
Simplify Navigation: Make sure your navigation is easy to use on smaller screens. Use a hamburger menu or a simple, clear navigation bar.
Optimise Images: Compress images to reduce load times without sacrificing quality. Use modern formats like WebP for better performance.
Touch-Friendly Elements: Ensure buttons and links are large enough to be easily tapped with a finger. Avoid placing interactive elements too close together.
Fast Loading Times: Minimize the use of heavy scripts and plugins. Use lazy loading for images and videos to improve initial load times.
Readable Text: Use a legible font size and ensure sufficient contrast between text and background. Avoid using small fonts that are hard to read on mobile devices.
Test on Multiple Devices: Regularly test your site on various mobile devices and browsers to ensure a consistent experience.
Avoid Pop-Ups: Minimise the use of pop-ups and interstitials that can disrupt the user experience on mobile devices.
Use Mobile-Friendly Forms: Simplify forms for mobile users by reducing the number of fields and using input types that bring up the appropriate keyboard (e.g., number pad for phone numbers).
Leverage Browser Caching: Enable browser caching to store static resources on the user's device, reducing load times for subsequent visits.
Common Mistakes When Designing for Mobile
Ignoring Mobile-First Design: Designing for desktop first and then trying to adapt to mobile can lead to a poor user experience. Start with mobile-first design principles.
Overloading with Content: Cramming too much information onto a small screen can overwhelm users. Keep content concise and prioritise the most important information.
Small Touch Targets: Making buttons and links too small can frustrate users. Ensure touch targets are large enough to be easily tapped.
Slow Load Times: Heavy images, videos, and scripts can slow down your site. Optimise all elements to ensure fast loading times.
Poor Navigation: Complex or hidden navigation can confuse users. Use simple, intuitive navigation that’s easy to access.
Not Testing on Real Devices: Relying solely on emulators can miss real-world issues. Test your site on various actual devices and browsers.
Ignoring Accessibility: Failing to consider accessibility can exclude users with disabilities. Use proper contrast, and readable fonts, and ensure your site is navigable with screen readers.
Intrusive Pop-Ups: Pop-ups that cover content or are hard to close can drive users away. Use them sparingly and ensure they are easy to dismiss.
Fixed-Width Layouts: Using fixed-width layouts can cause horizontal scrolling. Use flexible, responsive layouts that adapt to different screen sizes.
Neglecting Performance Optimisation: Not optimising for performance can lead to slow, frustrating experiences. Use techniques like lazy loading, caching, and minimising HTTP requests.
