If the websites of today need to cater to an increasingly multi-device using audience, then there are some basic principles and best practices that should be followed to ensure those sites are ready to properly handle these visitors and that they rank well in search engines.

• Responsive Website – a responsive layout that can adapt and change for different screen sizes is critical to support the variety of web-connected devices available today.

• All Content Should Be Available – if someone can access certain content or features when they visit the site on one device, they expect those to also be available when they return on other devices. The content should be presented in a way that is suitable for each device, but no content should be “hidden” or “turned off” for certain devices.

• Readability is Key – no matter what kind of devices or what size screen is being used to visit a website, the ease of reading that site is important. This means that the typography is an important design element to focus on. If someone has a hard time reading a site’s content, they are likely to leave the site altogether.

• Consistency Amidst Diversity – while the layout presented for each different screen size will be different, there should be consistency from one device to another. The overall experience should be connected so that users do not have to relearn the site every time they visit it on a new screen.

• Make Performance a Priority – websites should load quickly and work well on all devices, including mobile devices with less than perfect download speeds. Overall website performance should be a priority in all aspects of a site’s design and development – after all, no one will ever say that a website loaded too fast or worked too well!