Testing Mobile Usability

Key Learning Outcomes

You've done an excellent job learning about how to edit your mobile site! Now, let's focus on testing your website's mobile usability. Testing ensures your site offers a great user experience across all devices, which is crucial for keeping your audience engaged.

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

• Understand the importance of mobile usability testing;
• Use various tools to test your website on different devices;
• Identify and fix common mobile usability issues.

Best Practices for Testing Mobile Usability

1. Use Multiple Devices and Browsers: Test your website on different devices (smartphones, tablets) and browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox). This helps identify issues that may be specific to certain devices or browsers;
2. Emulate Devices Using Browser Developer Tools: Most modern browsers have developer tools that allow you to emulate different devices. Use these tools to quickly check how your site appears on various screen sizes;
3. Test Touch Interactions: Ensure that all interactive elements (buttons, links) are easily tappable and responsive to touch. Elements should be large enough to tap without zooming in;
4. Check Loading Times: Mobile users often have slower internet connections. Test your site's loading times on mobile networks to ensure a smooth experience for users with limited bandwidth;
5. Conduct User Testing: Get feedback from real users. Observe how they interact with your site on mobile devices and identify any pain points or usability issues;
6. Use Automated Testing Tools: Tools like Google Mobile-Friendly Test, PageSpeed Insights, and Lighthouse can provide valuable insights into your site's mobile performance and usability.

You can navigate to the webpage to install Google Lighthouse here. Please do bear in mind that you will need to use Chrome for this service since it is a plug in to Chrome. You can also use Page Speed Insights to test for mobile usability.

By following these best practices, you can ensure your website provides a seamless and enjoyable experience for all users, regardless of the device they are using.