Signs Your Website Needs Mobile Optimisation - SWiM Communications

Today, most users will interact with your brand for the first time on their phones. Whether they’ve clicked through from social media, searched for your services on Google, or tapped a link in a friend’s message; your mobile site is often your first impression. If it’s clunky, slow, or hard to use, you might be losing valuable customers before they even get to know you.

Not sure if your site is up to scratch? Here are some telltale signs your website needs mobile optimisation:

Slow Mobile Load Times

A delay of just a few seconds can send users packing. Mobile users expect fast, seamless experiences, especially when on the go. If your website takes more than three seconds to load on mobile, chances are high you’re losing traffic and potential leads.

Remedy: Compress images, enable caching, and remove unnecessary scripts. Better yet, conduct a full speed audit to identify performance bottlenecks.

Navigation Issues

Are your buttons too small? Do users accidentally tap the wrong links? Poor navigation is a top complaint among mobile users. What looks good on a desktop might be frustrating on a smaller screen.

Red Flags:

Menus that disappear or overlap content
Buttons or links too close together
Forms that don’t fit properly on the screen

Remedy: Use mobile-first design principles to ensure all elements are touch-friendly and easy to navigate with a thumb.

Poor Mobile Search Rankings

Google now uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it predominantly uses the mobile version of your content to determine rankings. If your site isn’t mobile-optimised, your SEO performance is likely taking a hit.

Remedy: Test your site using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and address any flagged issues.

User Complaints

If you’ve received direct feedback like “Your site is hard to use on my phone” or “I couldn’t find what I was looking for”—listen. Users are telling you what your analytics might not show.

Remedy: Collect and analyse real mobile session recordings or heatmaps to understand where users are struggling.

Your Design Feels Dated

A site that hasn’t been updated in a few years may not meet today’s mobile standards. Even if it technically works on phones, a poor user experience can make your business seem out of touch. Buttons that look great on your website may be unusable in mobile view.

Remedy: Consider a mobile-first website redesign that prioritizes performance, accessibility, and clean design.

Your Design Doesn’t Adapt to Smaller Screens

If users have to zoom in or scroll sideways, your site isn’t responsive. A mobile-optimised site should automatically adjust content for different screen sizes.

Remedy: Use a responsive design framework or theme (like Bootstrap or a mobile-friendly WordPress theme) and test across devices.

It’s Hard to Fill Out Forms

Long forms or poorly formatted input fields can frustrate users trying to make an enquiry or purchase on their phone.

Remedy:

Use mobile-optimised forms
Limit the number of required fields
Enable auto-fill and keyboard optimisations

Key Info Isn’t Immediately Visible

If users have to dig for your phone number, address, or key selling points, they’ll likely leave.

Remedy:

Place contact info and CTAs “above the fold”
Make call, email, and map links tappable
Use clear headings and bite-sized content

Your Mobile Bounce Rate is High

A high bounce rate on mobile compared to desktop can indicate a poor mobile experience.

Remedy:
Use tools like Google Analytics to track bounce rate by device. Then run A/B tests or heatmaps to identify what’s going wrong.

Pop-Ups and Ads Get in the Way

On mobile, intrusive pop-ups can block content or make it hard to navigate. Google also penalises these in mobile search results.

Remedy:

Avoid full-screen pop-ups
Use slide-ins or banners that are easy to close
Ensure cookie notices don’t block key content

Why Mobile Optimisation Isn’t Optional

Creating a truly mobile-first design is more than just resizing your layout. It means:

Navigating responsive frameworks
Optimising for technical and local SEO
Ensuring lightning-fast load speeds
Designing for real-life usability on varying screen sizes

Ready to Improve Your Mobile Experience?

Don’t let an outdated website hold your business back. We’ll help you stay ahead of evolving algorithms and rising user expectations.