The days of people getting online exclusively on a desktop computer are long gone. Many people jump on websites while out and about, via their tablets or smartphones. Some even use these gadgets exclusively without owning a traditional computer. Small business owners must offer mobile-friendly sites if they want to take advantage of all the organic trafficking coming to their home on the internet.
What Makes a Site Mobile Friendly
Around 90% of adults in the U.S. say they go on the internet daily. Pew Internet Research reported in early 2026 that 97% of adults under the age of 50 own smartphones, and 90% of those between 50 and 65 do. Even those 65 and over overwhelmingly own smartphones at 78%.
While the same survey showed only 16% of people were smartphone dependent for internet access, many use both home broadband and phone plans to get online. Small business owners and website designers must create sites that look as good on small screens as larger ones. Knowing the key things that make a site mobile friendly ensures your design translates well no matter where customers access it. Here are the top features of a mobile-friendly site.
- Fast load times on mobile devices
- Thumb-friendly navigation
- Readable typography without having to zoom
- Images that scale to size without overtaking the screen
- Excellent aesthetics
- Simple navigation
- Accessible calls to action (CTAs)
- Forms that work and are easy to fill out
The old saying of “you’ll know it when you see it” often applies to mobile designs. Those creating sites must test them thoroughly in various small screens to ensure everything responds as expected.
Examples of Mobile-Friendly Sites for Inspiration
The following are some stellar examples of responsive designs that work well for the user. You’ll find a mix of industries listed below. Use the examples as inspiration for your next mobile-first or mobile-ready design.
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1. Billstein, Monsoon & Small PLLC
Many websites use purple, blues and white or neutral colors for the small screen. Billstein, Monsoon & Small law firm uses some earth-toned colors and the vivid image of the Montana landscape, pulling users in immediately. The image resizes perfectly for a small screen.
The menu goes to two lines and has limited categories of “Attorneys,” “About,” “Practice Areas” and Contact. We like the long scroll on the home page that explains the firm represents businesses and then offers additional details on each attorney along with a photo. Their logo serves as an anchor across all pages. The only thing missing is a direct CTA, however they provide their phone number, which you could argue serves as an excellent CTA for a law firm site where direct contact with the client is the next step.
2. J.P. King
What is there to say about this real estate website but wow. The use of video hero shots on the mobile version of the site is striking. It loads very quickly even with the animated feature. A hamburger menu is where expected on the upper right of the page and the company logo on the upper left.
The CTA is a phone icon and the words “Call Us Today,” which creates a sense of urgency. Another feature that works well for a real estate website is the scrolling property listing across the front with a short description and photo of the property. The user can click last and next to navigate between listings or click on the image to get more information.
3. Videri Chocolate Factory
The stacked boxes effect of this site’s design is visually appealing on a small screen. Navigation is embedded within the images, with “Shop,” “Chocolate Covered Strawberries” and “Valentine’s Day” pages easy to navigate to with the tap of a finger.
The menu also has two lines but is on the left upper corner rather than the right. It still is intuitive for users to navigate to, as the logo is in the center top of the page. When you scroll down, you see some of their more popular products and can click on any to place an order.
In an industry where word-of-mouth marketing matters, they include some reviews from their customers on the page, with scroll arrows pointing right and left.
4. Sparkle in Pink
Our online retail site example is bright and colorful. The mobile version repeats the desktop design of the Sparkle in Pink site very closely, with the same images and categories but scaled to size for a small screen.
Calls to action are the categories of clothing and a diagonal banner in the lower left corner when you land on that page that reads “Get 15% Off.” This is a smart strategy to collect emails to market to customers later.
5. Dakota Goat Squad, LLC
When you land on the mobile version of the Dakota Goat Squad’s website, you have to agree that the design is unique like the concept. The company uses goats to help clear land and their logo is in bold relief along with a welcome message on their landing page.
A traditional hamburger menu shares the categories you can navigate to, such as “Goatscaping,” “Goat-Gram” and “Contact.”
Not seen in the image, but at the top of the website mobile homepage is telephone numbers and an email address for easy access. As you scroll down the page, you’ll find details about what they do, images of past work and learn they also bring the goats out for special occasions, such as birthday parties.
Reach New Users
Creating mobile responsive designs ensures all users can enjoy what your website offers. The goal is to pull each site visitor into the user’s journey and keep them engaged. A poorly designed mobile version of your site will drive people away and possibly into the pages of your competitors. Take the time to nail the way your mobile site works and you’ll naturally increase your conversion rate.
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