Mobile Website Checklist: Navigation, Forms and Readability

The mobile version of a website is not a shrunken copy of the desktop one. On a phone, the order of sections, the way people tap and the reading conditions all change. What you need to test is whether people can get their task done, not just whether there's no horizontal scrolling.

Navigate with one hand

Open the menu, the nested sections and the page you need. Make sure that expanding a submenu doesn't trigger an accidental tap through, and that closing it works in an obvious way. Anything that only appears on mouse hover needs separate behavior on a phone.

Check whether sticky bars cover the content. They can take up a large part of a small screen, especially when the keyboard opens. You can get your current website checked with a free website audit.

One hand holds a smartphone and opens the menu with a thumb; easy-to-reach tap targets with no tiny extra items.
One hand holds a smartphone and opens the menu with a thumb; easy-to-reach tap targets with no tiny extra items.

Check content order and density

When columns stack vertically, important text sometimes ends up below a long illustration. Put the main answer ahead of secondary details. You can spot this as early as the prototype. Comparisons should stay clear without constant scrolling back and forth between their parts.

Read a normal paragraph, a caption and button text on a real device. Don't make up for tiny type by expecting people to zoom in. Check long words, addresses and service names that can stretch a block.

Mobile cards rearranged into one column with readable text, compared with a cramped multi-column version.
Mobile cards rearranged into one column with readable text, compared with a cramped multi-column version.

Fill in the form all the way through

Check the keyboard type, whether labels stay visible, error messages and whether typed text is preserved. After the tap, it should be clear whether the action is in progress, finished or needs to be repeated. Which fields to keep: website lead form.

During website development, mobile scenarios are part of acceptance testing. Technical support helps repeat them after changes to menus, forms or widgets that can affect a small screen.

Filling in a short form with the mobile keyboard ends in a clear success state, with the button within reach.
Filling in a short form with the mobile keyboard ends in a clear success state, with the button within reach.
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