Your website showcases your products or services. It’s a window into your world for prospective customers. One of the most important necessities for a modern website is that it must be easy to navigate across any device. A visitor on a mobile device should have the same experience as a visitor using a laptop or desktop computer.
Access to multiple devices can be beneficial when testing and managing your website. As a good rule of thumb, having a desktop computer, laptop, and mobile device in your office is helpful.
In this blog post, I share five ways you can use multiple devices to test the performance, functionality, and content of your website.
1. Website Speed
In an attention-focused economy, it’s crucial to pay attention to the speed of your website. If your website loads in more than a second or two, you’ll lose the attention of prospective customers. You should regularly test your website speed each month to ensure it’s loading quickly.
A great tool for this is Google PageSpeed Insights. This tool allows you to test the speed of your website on both mobile and desktop devices. Simply enter your website URL, and it will provide you with a detailed report and suggestions for improvement.
Testing your website speed manually in a desktop or mobile browser is also helpful. Open your site on different devices and note any delays in loading time. Address any issues promptly to ensure your site remains fast and responsive.
2. Customer Support
Occasionally, a customer may have an issue with your website, such as finding a bug or having trouble accessing some content. Having multiple devices available will help you replicate your customer’s issues and solve their problems. Ideally, you should have a laptop, desktop computer, and mobile device available for this purpose.
For example, if a customer reports a problem on a mobile device, you can use your own mobile device to try and replicate the issue. This helps you understand the problem from the user’s perspective and allows you to provide a more effective solution.
3. Website Updates
When you make changes or updates to your website’s content, it’s vital to test them visually using multiple devices. Modern websites are designed to adapt to suit the size of the screen on which they are viewed; however, there are still some nuances with specific devices.
Before pushing any update live, preview the changes on a desktop computer, laptop, and mobile device. This ensures that your website looks and functions as expected across all platforms. Pay special attention to elements like images, buttons, and navigation menus to ensure they are displaying correctly and are easy to use.
4. Testing Forms
Your website likely contains several forms, such as contact forms, newsletter opt-ins, lead magnet opt-ins, and quote request forms. Each of these forms should be tested regularly to ensure that they work correctly and that your team receives the information.
When testing your forms, use both a desktop or laptop computer and a mobile device. Fill out each form and submit it to confirm that all fields are functioning correctly and that the data is being received properly. This helps prevent potential issues that could cause you to miss out on valuable leads and inquiries.
5. New Functionality
Adding new functionality to your website can be a significant change for your business. One example could be adding an e-commerce store to your existing website. If you’re working with a web designer or agency on a new functionality project, they’ll be responsible for testing across multiple devices. However, it’s still a good idea to conduct your own testing to feel confident that your visitors will have a great experience.
Test the new functionality on a desktop computer, laptop, and mobile device. This helps you identify any issues and ensures that your visitors can easily access and use the new features regardless of the device they’re using.
Conclusion
Testing your website using multiple devices is crucial to ensure a seamless and enjoyable user experience for all your visitors. By regularly checking your website speed, addressing customer support issues, testing updates and forms, and evaluating new functionality, you can maintain a high-performing website that meets the needs of your audience.
