Mobile-First Usability Guideline for Responsive E-Commerce Websites

Abstract

Handheld devices such as smartphones, tablets, and PDAs are commonly used for online shopping. In order to satisfy web page requests on these devices, web developers are using a responsive web design approach, where websites dynamically adapt to different screen sizes and orientations. One of the challenges faced by web developers is to provide a usable experience across different devices. Motivated by this, a mobile-first usability guideline was established by extracting good usability practices from five popular responsive e-commerce websites. Validation of the usability guideline was conducted, and results indicate that it will have a positive impact on the overall user experience.