How to make a website mobile friendly

Make a website mobile friendly by using a responsive layout that reflows to one column, keeping text at least 16px, making buttons at least 44px tall, compressing images, and cutting forms to the essentials. Modern builders do most of this automatically; the rest is checking your site on a real phone and fixing what is awkward.

Why it matters

For most local businesses, well over half of visitors arrive on a phone, often while walking, waiting or between tasks. Google also ranks the mobile version of your site. A site that is hard to use on a phone loses both the visitor and the ranking.

The checklist

1. 1Responsive layoutColumns become one column. Nothing requires horizontal scrolling. Builders handle this; custom sites need it built in.
2. 2Readable textBody text 16px or larger. Short lines. Enough contrast to read in sunlight.
3. 3Tap targetsButtons and links at least 44px tall with space between them. Thumbs are not cursors.
4. 4SpeedCompress images, avoid autoplay video, limit fonts. Most slow mobile sites are slow because of one huge photo.
5. 5FormsThree fields, large inputs, the right keyboard (numbers for phone). Or replace the form with a chat.
6. 6Tap to call and tap to bookThe phone number should dial; the book button should open the calendar.

A five-minute test on your own phone

• Open your site on mobile data, not wifi. Count the seconds.
• Can you tell what the business does without scrolling?
• Can you find the price and the booking button in ten seconds?
• Tap every button with your thumb. Any misses?
• Fill in the enquiry form. How many fields did you resent?

Common mobile mistakes

• Pop-ups that cover the screen and are hard to close.
• Hero images that push the headline below the fold.
• Menus with twenty items.
• Text on photos that becomes unreadable at small sizes.
• PDFs for menus or price lists.

Builders and mobile

Every modern builder produces a mobile layout automatically, and AI builders generate copy short enough to suit small screens. Your job is to check the result and remove anything that only made sense on a desktop.

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Frequently asked questions