Whether we like it or not, most of us are totally dependent on our smartphones. Since we use this mobile technology for both personal and professional tasks, it often feels like our lifeline – our strongest connection to the people we care about and the world at-large.

Not surprisingly, more than half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your website doesn’t feature mobile-friendly design, you’ll be doing yourself a huge disservice. As any good SEO reseller program will point out, a lack of mobile-friendly web design can impact your traffic, conversions, and overall brand perception.

In other words, you literally can’t afford to dismiss the importance of mobile-friendly design. But do you even know whether your site is truly accessible via mobile? Let’s take a closer look at some telltale signs that your site might not be as mobile-friendly as you think – and some steps you can take to rectify the situation.

Your Website Might Not Be Mobile-Friendly If…

1. It’s been years since your last redesign: Web design trends evolve quickly due to adjustments in user behavior. Now that technology has improved to the point where the vast majority of Americans own smartphones, it makes sense that we’d use those devices to access the internet. But if your site was designed more than five years ago and you’ve never had it updated, there’s a good chance that it isn’t outfitted with responsive design or optimized for mobile search. Realistically, you shouldn’t go more than a few years without a website refresh. When you can’t remember when your site was last overhauled, you can bet that it isn’t mobile-friendly.
   
2. Your bounce rate is sky-high: Bounce rate is a metric that shows the percentage of people who come to your website and then leave without visiting other pages. Ideally, you’ll want a low bounce rate; this suggests that your site is appearing in relevant searches and that visitors are finding it to be useful. While having a high bounce rate doesn’t necessarily indicate that your site isn’t mobile-friendly, it does reveal that there’s something about your site that isn’t appealing to visitors. There are many other reasons for high bounce rates, but non-responsive design can derail all of your marketing efforts. After all, no one wants to bother with a site that provides a bad experience.
   
3. You’ve never viewed your site on your phone: You might believe that ignorance is bliss, but it’s going to lead to confusion and frustration in this case. If you’ve never even bothered to view your own website on your smartphone, you’ll have absolutely no idea what your potential customers are experiencing. You need to put yourself in your customer’s shoes – and that starts with viewing your website through their eyes. It’s a safe bet that if you haven’t tested this out for yourself that there will be mobile accessibility barriers you don’t even know about.

How to Make Your Site More Mobile-Friendly

There are a number of steps you can take to ensure your site provides a great experience across all devices, including mobile. Certainly, working with a designer or developer experienced in responsive design and UX (user experience) is recommended. But here are a few improvements you can start making today.

• Run a mobile audit or test. They’re free and simple to understand. They’ll point you in the right direction as to the adjustments that should be made.
  
• Simplify your navigation. Don’t make mobile users hunt down the information they need. By eliminating confusion with your website nav, you’ll make the process much faster and less stressful.
  
• Speed things up. A webpage that takes more than a few seconds to load will lose out. Customers will simply look elsewhere for solutions. Improve your site speed by compressing images, eliminating unnecessary scripts, utilizing browser caching, and other adjustments.
  
• Get rid of annoying pop-ups. Although some pop-up windows can be effective for lead generation, they can create issues for mobile users. Use pop-ups sparingly (if at all) and ensure they don’t cover the page. They should be easy to close.
  
• Increase font and button size. Remember that mobile device screens are much smaller. This means you need to increase your font size and ensure that links and buttons are tappable. As a result, your content will be easy to read and visitors will remain engaged.
  

In our digitally driven world, sites that fail to appeal to mobile users will fall behind. If you want to compete, your site needs to be mobile-friendly. With this information in mind, you can make the necessary changes to your site that will attract visitors using any device.