How do I know if my sites are mobile-friendly?

Google pushing design for mobile devices.

[CrimsonGirl]

Like many webmasters, I got notice from Google that my sites are not mobile-friendly. Touch elements too close, viewpoint not configured, and small font size.

I am a content person, not a web designer. I am not going to redesign my sites myself and I don't particularly care if I have unique designs (the content is unique, and that's what I care about.)

The other day I found a website with some design templates that I like. (Which is unusual, because in the past when looking for designs for sale most I came across have been graphics heavy and my sites have very few graphics.)

The website claims the templates are "fully responsive". So I converted several of my sites.

Question: how do I know the new designs will satisfy Google's criteria?

I don't want to proceed to modify all my sites, including the big ones, only to find Google still doesn't like them.

Is there a place I can go to test my sites for Google's mobile friendliness?


P.S. I don't have a smart phone and never use the web from a tablet or mobile device, but I am sure many visitors do.

[not2easy]

Google offers a page speed analysis tool that tells you whether the URL you enter is a mobile friendly page or not, it gives you an analysis of things to work on with links to information to fix the problems they find. Some of it seems over the top, but it can be a starting point: [developers.google.com...]

Another place to check is at w3.org: [jigsaw.w3.org...]

That link is for the css validation tool, but at the same page there is a tool to check pages or sites. The css tool is free and the page/site tools are free to try.

Firefox offers developer tools to see the site in a mobile emulator. Other browsers have tools also.

[Apex]

According to me their are many websites available on internet for testing that website is mobile friendly or not. [mobiletest.me...] is the best website for check that website is mobile friendly or not because these website provide options for select mobile model like samsung, nokia, micromax..etc. Just select mobile set and then enter your website url. the result show in 1 second and display your website picure in your selected mobile model type.

[incrediBILL]

P.S. I don't have a smart phone and never use the web from a tablet or mobile device, but I am sure many visitors do.

Then you will never know if they actually work on a mobile device as the simulators aren't enough, you have to check them using an actual mobile device,

Since it's a business, the phone and tablet can be taken off as an expense since you're using them to test.

Don't worry about what Google does, just test your site on a mobile device, if it doesn't work like other normal mobile sites, then it might not be listed in the mobile index.

Simple as that, just try it, you'll know when it's mobile.

FYI, for a cheesy way to test it, you just shrink your browser down to match the mobile viewport size (there are Firefox add-ons that make this easy) and you can get an idea if the site sucks or not as a responsive web design site will work properly in a tiny browser window, but that still doesn't tell you if it works properly in an actual browser on an actual mobile device, you're still only guessing.

If you don't plan to get actual mobile devices to test with, either Android or iOS, then I'd just give up on mobile and let someone else take those SERPs that really cares about it <tough love> ;)

[CrimsonGirl]

I shouldn't have mentioned my personal devices.

Yes, I have seen my sites on small screens before - other people's phones, simulators. They generally look fine. But Google says that is not good enough. I just want to be sure the recent changes I made will satisfy Google.

Maybe, if I am lucky, Google webmaster tools will drop the warning message about my sites being out of compliance.

[not2easy]

Google is emailing everyone who has not made their sites mobile friendly. The warning in GWT goes away when you delete it. If you take a few minutes and test your site at the links suggested you will find out what to do to make your site mobile friendly. Your site was not singled out for the warning, everyone got one: [webmasterworld.com...]

[piatkow]

Then you will never know if they actually work on a mobile device as the simulators aren't enough, you have to check them using an actual mobile device,

I was taking my first steps on this yesterday, got a page looking great on various on-line simulators. Then I went outside to find a signal and had a look on my Samsung phone - it looked like ****!

[piatkow]

After posting the above I logged in to GWT and rechecked my site.

Of the three pages that I had fixed two were fine and the one that had the problem on my phone looked the same on GWT despite checking out on all the other simulators and looking fine when I simply shrank my desktop browser window. I think I will just go away and cry for a bit and try again tomorrow.

[piatkow]

Cracked it, the problem was on an older page. Firefox and the assorted emulators didn't give the proverbial about the old doctype, GWT and my phone did.

[incrediBILL]

Cracked it, the problem was on an older page. Firefox and the assorted emulators didn't give the proverbial about the old doctype, GWT and my phone did.

That's why I always tell people to test them on Android and iOS, esp. if javascript is used, as the actual devices are never the same as the emulators but I suspect the iOS emulator is the best of them all.

If you don't own the gear, beg, borrow or steal some.

Just makes it easy to own at least a tablet and phone, and you can pick up Android tablets NEW for under $100, same with phones as there are Android burner phones now also under $100, so you can own a couple of test machines and just get on wifi, no cell account required to test so you don't even burn your burner phones minutes.

Forget new for Apple gear, try Craigslist, eBay or even Amazon and Walmart to get refurbs for a whole lot less than new prices.

It's a complicated web these days and keeping up can be expensive.

Google will be dropping a ton of ancient sites from mobile so I know a lot of photographers that will vanish from view that do gorgeous work, but you'll never see it because they're not web developers and blew a bundle 10 years ago and probably can't afford it again.

[whitespace]

P.S. I don't have a smart phone and never use the web from a tablet or mobile device, but I am sure many visitors do.

FYI: Mobile users currently see a "Mobile-friendly" label against search results that are considered mobile friendly. Non-mobile-friendly results just don't get this notice.

[Mark_S]

Test with the Mobile Friendly Test tool at Google Developers site,

[google.com...]