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A Simple Mobile Website Checklist: 10 Items You Can’t Ignore!

Friday, February 1st, 2019
mobile website checklist

Mobile devices have become so popular that most website traffic is coming from smartphones and tablets. This means that if your website is not mobile-friendly, you could be losing out on visitors. Responsive web design allows viewers to use your site on any device and makes it visually appealing and functional. The following is a more detailed checklist that can help you optimize your site for mobile devices. Jump to the bottom of this page for a shorter checklist.

 

Plan for responsive design and functionality

Having one website that works on any device allows your visitors, especially returning visitors, to recognize your brand. It also lets them see any page whether they are on a desktop or a small phone. The first step in creating this type of website is to make a design.

The design should be able to translate seamlessly from desktop to mobile devices. Sometimes designers and developers will need to alter the way certain features appear to make them work properly. This can include the main navigation menu, image gallery pages, and removing features like pop-up boxes. Not everyone can see pop-ups or intersitials, and they block valuable content and can be a nuisance. Because mobile device screens are smaller, you must decide what will be altered and what can stay the same.

Only provide easy-to-use navigation options

The next step in your mobile website checklist should be to look at navigation menus and options. The navigation is one of the most important parts of your entire website. It must be functional across every device so anyone who views your site can access each page and element.

A common practice is to take each menu item from the main navigations at the top and bottom of the page and hide them under a “hamburger” icon. This is the icon at the bottom of the screen with three horizontal lines. Sometimes this can be difficult, especially if you have a lot of pages. If this is the case, be flexible with your design and consider leaving main navigation options like Home and About visible.

Part of having a mobile-friendly navigation menu is making sure that the text or images are large enough to click on. Fingertips are larger than a mouse, so be careful how closely you place clickable options together and test your navigation to ensure it works.

Always keep a clean layout in mind

This is another aspect of design, but it is important to remember no matter what stage your website is in. Every feature and element on every page should be viewable on desktop, phones, and tablets. Here are some tips to help you with this part of mobile optimization.

Images

All images should be optimized for mobile with a smaller file size, but their quality should remain the same as on desktop. Sometimes images are also visibly too large to fit into mobile. You want visitors to be able to see what your website is about with both images and text. If your images are too large and take up too much space, they may lose interest and leave your website. Larger images can also take too long to load, which can turn away visitors and even harm your search engine rankings.

Images can be structured around text, videos, and other elements. If you have many images on one page, be sure these line up well in mobile. If the coding is flawed, you may see images stacking on each other, stretching the page, or colliding with text. Any time you change a feature on your website or add a page, be sure to check that the images are functioning well.

Videos

Using videos on a website is becoming popular in many industries, not just social media. Videos are more interactive and provide more engagement to people visiting your site. Creating good visual content is important, but optimizing for mobile is just as vital. Here are some steps you can take to make sure your videos are functional and enjoyable.

  • Make them square for mobile devices so they fit better with other elements on the page.
  • Make the caption text big enough to read.
  • Videos should load quickly and not have trouble playing. You can use high-quality plugins or embed through YouTube to accomplish this.
  • Video size should always be appropriate for mobile (responsive).
  • If you provide a video gallery, consider horizontal scrolling to make functionality easier.

Text content

Text is important to have on a website for search engine optimization (SEO) and to show customers and visitors who you are. But, even the most well-written content will fail you if people cannot read it. Choosing a font that is easy to read on desktop and mobile is wise. You should also make sure it is large enough on every device. Separating content into sections and using images or videos can also help move the eye down the page. When using titles, be sure they fit well on the screen and do not go over two lines.

Test loading speeds and make changes if needed

Studies have repeatedly shown that website visitors will only wait a few seconds for a page to load before leaving. Compressing images, videos, and code can help reduce loading times. Using a simple mobile design can also help with load speeds. The more features your website has, the more likely it will be slow. You should not take away too many features or elements because you want to stay interesting, but keep a minimalist point of view. You can use free load speed tests online to help you see where your site may need some work.

What should you take away from a mobile website checklist?

Please note that this checklist does not contain everything you should look for in a mobile-friendly website. Each website, business, and target audience is unique, so it is best to look at your needs as well as website guidelines. But, having even a simple list can help you improve your site or design a new one.

  1. Design for all screen sizes
  2. Make sure elements are functional
  3. Keep navigation easy to use
  4. Check that redirects are working as intended
  5. When updating your website, always ensure elements are responsive
  6. Images, videos, and text should be in a simple but engaging layout
  7. Display contact information on every page
  8. Remember that load speed is vital for your website visitors and SEO
  9. Don’t be afraid to experiment and change things when necessary
  10. Seek help if you aren’t sure about optimizing your website for mobile

Looking for web design services in Amarillo?

If you would like help designing, building, and maintaining your website, contact the Professionals at UCI Digital today. We provide a variety of Services including a free website analysis, mobile optimization, video creation, social media, and SEO services. Give us a call at (806) 553-5332 or Contact Us today to learn more!