How to check if your website is responsive

The importance of building websites that work on mobile has been advocated for years.

We have no doubt you’re well-aware of the benefits that mobile friendly websites provide.

But even though all serious websites have gone responsive, designers still make mistakes when revamping their websites for mobile devices.

In this article we’ll walk you through a checklist for getting your website ready for mobile.

Sometime in 2014 the number of mobile internet users reached parity with the number of desktop internet users.

Since then the number of desktop internet users has been flatlining while the number of mobile users continues to climb.

In response, websites have been evolving to offer better mobile experiences.

In practical terms, this means that websites have been adopting responsive designs.

Since April 2015, Google has been ranking mobile-friendly websites higher in search results than those that are still living in the desktop era.

We all know how frustrating it is to pinch and swipe around a website trying to find a checkout button or product cart.

These sites are frustrating, so it’s an excell/ent choice on Google’s part to de-prioritize them in search.

In short, if a website isn’t mobile-friendly, its traffic will drop, its user engagement will be dismal, and its retention metrics will make developers depressed.

If you want modern smartphone-browsing customers to even consider your services, then your mobile internet experience must be smooth and enjoyable.

Here’s four practical steps for creating a great mobile website.

Mobile-friendly Checklist

Refine your visuals

Creativity is great, but don’t try to be super creative and use all the design principles at once.

When a user sees too many objects of differing colors and styles on a tiny mobile screen, it can make their head spin.

In other words, they simply leave your site.

Quality design is never loud.

It’s sensible, and it guides the user through your site.

Minimalism is the key to a great mobile site.

Get rid of redundant content

Though the screen sizes of mobile devices have grown larger, they’re still smaller than laptop or desktop screens.

It’s important not to crowd a small screen.

The fewer the text and visual elements on a mobile site, the easier it is to navigate.

This is especially important for people on the go — while shopping or glancing at a screen between meetings.

This image illustrates redundancies and demonstrates how to present content more clearly:

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