The following link is for the Samsung S5. Take a look at the animations area. Recommend turning these off. Most of the link should apply to your S4 mini.
I also prefer folders on the home screens. I put all of my Google stuff in one folder. News sites in another. The shortcuts at the very bottom can also be swapped out. I place a flashlight app at the very bottom. This way I never hunt for it. Your phone might have arrived with both Dialer and Contacts at the bottom? Remove the contacts. It's redundant. Contacts are already in the Dialer.
Turn off Animations