How to Make Your First Website Mobile-Friendly Without Coding

Table of contents 

1. You can't afford to ignore mobile users in 2024
2. Getting started with WordPress 
3. Layout, font, and color 
4. Improve website speed
5. Use proper image format
6. Avoid popups, and don't use too many CTAs 

You can't afford to ignore mobile users in 2024

Almost 80% of websites are optimized for mobile in 2024. With 92.3% of people accessing the internet on mobile, neglecting mobile optimization will alienate a significant portion of visitors. If you intend to dedicate your first website to some business, you risk losing potential customers.

People are 67% more likely to buy something from a mobile-friendly store. 74% of internet users will return to a mobile-friendly website.

You can't be expected to run a website and be a coding whiz at the same time. Thankfully, no-code website builders like WordPress exist to make your life easier. People are increasingly turning to these tools. The no-code platform market is projected to be worth $187 billion in 2030 and makes up around 65% of all app development activity this year.

More than 75% of businesses have adopted a combination of no-code or low-code, and 85% of people say no-code platforms add value to their lives. 

96% of people who don't currently use no-code tools say they would use them in the future, and 84% of people trust such tools. 

Getting started with WordPress 

As mentioned, WordPress is a great tool for creating your first site. Before we dive in, check out this WordPress tutorial for beginners for additional information – you'll see how easy it is to get started.  

WordPress has tens of thousands of ready-to-go themes, which you can check out under Appearance > Themes. If you choose a theme outside WordPress, it might have flaws that will need coding to remedy. 

Layout, font, and color 

A mobile-responsive layout will adjust to fit the user's device. It can adapt to different screen sizes, showing relevant content at the same time. For example, it might move from a two-column design on a computer to a one-column design on a phone. Truly responsive design will not impact the speed at which the site loads. Among WordPress's mobile-friendliest themes are Astra, Avada, Divi, Hestia, Betheme, and GeneratePress. 

Script-type fonts might not be easy to read on a mobile device. Stay consistent with the style. Bold different lines of text so they stand out on smaller screens. 

Use only black for text so users can still see when the background is a different color. Black text will also be clear if there is sun glare when they're outside or other reflections.

Improve website speed

A webpage should take under two seconds to load. If your site is selling a product or a service, this statistic is important to keep in mind. A one-second delay leads to a 16% drop in customer satisfaction. Run a speed test for mobile. If you want videos on your site, host them on YouTube or Wistia and then embed them. Videos are heavy and slow down websites they're on.

Use proper image format

Image formats such as JPEG XR or 2000, WEBP, and AVIF result in smaller file sizes than PNG and JPEG files of similar quality. Using these formats will speed up your site. 

Compress images to reduce the amount of data that needs to be loaded for viewing. This also speeds up the site for mobile. Use a free tool like Kraken.io to compress your images. Compression reduces the size but not the quality of the file.  

Avoid popups, and don't use too many CTAs 

You can create popups without code, but it's best not to. Popups are hard to view on smaller screens. If users face too many calls to action, navigating on a smaller screen is difficult for them. It causes confusion, which will drive them away. Use only a contact form, which visitors might look for.

Focus on a simple design with easy navigation. White space will keep content organized and let visitors see all features at a glance.