According to a recent statistic, 77 percent of American consumers now own a smartphone. Considering this, it makes sense that more online searches are now performed using a mobile device than a desktop computer. As mobile devices continue to become more affordable, we can expect mobile to continue to be to be the preferred way that consumers browse the internet.

Google is constantly revamping its algorithm to improve the user experience. Given the increase in mobile browsing, Google now gives preference in rankings to mobile-friendly websites. The search engine giant is also testing the possibility of moving to mobile-first indexing, where the mobile version of the website will be taken into account first in rankings.

As a savvy marketer, this information is not new to you. In fact, you’ve probably already using responsive design to make your website user-friendly regardless if it’s accessed using a mobile device or desktop. But is your website design really as mobile-friendly as you think?

While responsive website design is Google’s preferred choice as it offers the optimal user experience, it also gives some marketers a false sense of security. Just because your website is responsive doesn’t mean that it’s been implemented correctly.

Half-Hearted Responsive Website Design
A common issue that some businesses unknowingly have is a half-hearted responsive website. This can happen when responsiveness is retrofitted into an existing website design. A website that has been around for a long time could have thousands of pages associated with it. To save time and money, some marketers choose to just make the core pages on the website responsive. Unfortunately, this offers a poor user experience as the website is not truly mobile-friendly.

Less Functionality
Another issue that takes away from the mobile-friendliness of a website is when functionality is eliminated from the design. When re-working a website, it’s not unusual for designers to cut certain functions altogether because they would be too difficult to make mobile-friendly. These decisions to eliminate functionalities, however, make the website less mobile-friendly.

Neglecting to Adapt Content
When transitioning to a responsive website, most people are focused on the design aspect. It’s critical, though, that the content on your website also adapts for optimal mobile viewing. For example, a common mistake is not adjusting the infographics on a website to be consumed on mobile devices. When this content is not taken into consideration, it becomes illegible on a mobile device, therefore creating a poor user experience.

Considering the number of consumers browsing the internet using a mobile device, you can’t afford to not have a mobile-friendly website design. However, just because you’ve upgraded to a responsive design does not guarantee that your website is mobile-friendly. As you evaluate your own website design, be sure to ask yourself if you’ve made any of these common mistakes when transitioning to a mobile-friendly website.