Two easy ways to test your site’s mobile design

devices

Photo: Miniyo73 (CC)

Mobile is super important. You’re probably reading this on a phone.

Super. Important.

But we don’t necessarily treat it with due respect. Our sites may be fine for laptops, but terrible for mobile screens. Google, the main source of traffic for many sites, gives mobile-friendly sites priority. Soon, the search engine will have a completely separate index for mobile — that’s how important mobile is.

I have a couple of easy tests to ensure your site is mobile friendly.

First, look at it in your phone. I do this all the time. It’s only one phone (an iPhone 5) out of many kinds (brand, operating system, screen resolution, screen size), but it’s a quick way to understand what a typical user might see. And I look at it in both landscape and portrait modes.

Second, look at it in MobileTest.me. This free site allows me to pick any popular device and see how any webpage renders on that device from my laptop. For example, see how this blog post looks on an HTC One.

Google has a more sophisticated free tool for mobile testing. Here’s what it has to say about today’s blog post.

It’s so easy. Let’s make sure our mobile visitors have a great experience looking at, reading and shopping on our sites. Otherwise, they might not ever come back.

P.S. Responsive web design isn’t always mobile friendly. Look closer.

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About Wade Kwon

Wade Kwon, chief haiku writer

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