In Australia, over 90% of internet users access the web via their smartphones, and Google now uses 'mobile-first indexing' to rank your site. If your website doesn't look great or function perfectly on a mobile phone, you are likely losing customers to your competitors and being penalised in search results.
This guide will walk you through the essential steps to ensure your website is fully responsive, fast, and user-friendly for your Brisbane customers on the go.
Prerequisites
Before we begin, ensure you have:- Administrative access to your website CMS (e.g., WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace).
- Access to Google Search Console.
- A smartphone (iOS or Android) for manual testing.
---
Step 1: Run the Google Mobile-Friendly Test
Start by understanding where you currently stand. Google provides a free tool within Search Console (and via the Lighthouse tool in Chrome DevTools) to check if your page meets their mobile standards. What you should see: Open your website in a Chrome browser, right-click and select 'Inspect', then click the 'Toggle Device Toolbar' icon (it looks like a phone and tablet). This allows you to see how your site renders on various screen sizes.Step 2: Choose a Responsive Theme or Template
If you are using a CMS like WordPress, the easiest way to ensure mobile friendliness is to use a 'Responsive' theme. A responsive design automatically adjusts the layout based on the screen size it is being viewed on. Action: Go to your theme settings. If your theme is more than 3-4 years old, it might use 'fixed-width' layouts. Consider switching to a modern, lightweight theme like Astra, GeneratePress, or the default Shopify themes which are built mobile-first.Step 3: Optimise Your Images for Mobile Data
Large image files are the #1 cause of slow mobile websites. Australian mobile networks, while generally fast, can struggle with 5MB images, leading to high bounce rates. Action:- Compress all images using tools like TinyPNG or a WordPress plugin like Smush.
- Use WebP format instead of JPEG where possible.
- Ensure your 'alt text' is descriptive, as this helps with accessibility and SEO.
Step 4: Implement 'Thumb-Friendly' Navigation
Think about how you hold your phone. Most people use their thumbs to navigate. If your buttons are too small or tucked away in a tiny corner, users will get frustrated. Action:- Ensure all buttons (Call to Action) are at least 44x44 pixels.
- Add plenty of 'white space' around links so users don't accidentally click the wrong thing.
- Use a 'Hamburger Menu' (the three horizontal lines) to hide your main navigation on mobile screens.
Step 5: Eliminate Intrusive Pop-ups
Nothing ruins a mobile experience faster than a pop-up that covers the entire screen and is impossible to close. Google actually penalises sites that use intrusive interstitials on mobile. Action: Review your lead-capture pop-ups. If you must use them, ensure they only cover a small portion of the screen or are easily dismissible with a large 'X' button.Step 6: Optimise Font Sizes and Readability
Reading small text on a small screen is a chore. You want your Brisbane customers to be able to read your service offerings without zooming in. Action: Set your base font size to at least 16px. Ensure there is enough line height (usually 1.5) so the lines of text don't look squashed together. Stick to high-contrast colours (e.g., black text on a white background).Step 7: Optimise Forms for Mobile Input
Filling out a long contact form on a mobile is a nightmare. Action:- Shorten your forms to the absolute essentials (Name, Email, Phone).
- Use the correct input types. For example, setting the phone number field to
type="tel"will trigger the numeric keypad on a smartphone, making it easier for the user. - Disable 'Autocorrect' for fields like names or addresses where it might cause errors.
Step 8: Improve Your Page Load Speed
Mobile users are often in a hurry. If your site takes longer than 3 seconds to load, you’ll lose half your traffic. Action:- Minify your CSS and JavaScript files.
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare to serve your site from a Brisbane or Sydney server, reducing 'latency'.
- Enable 'Lazy Loading' so images only load as the user scrolls down to them.
Step 9: Make Your Phone Number Clickable
This is a simple but vital step for local Australian businesses. If a customer finds you on mobile, they want to call you instantly. Action: Ensure your phone number is coded as a link:07 1234 5678. This allows the user to simply tap the number to start a call.
Step 10: Test on Real Devices
Emulators are great, but nothing beats testing on an actual iPhone and Android device. Action: Borrow a friend's phone if you have to. Walk through your website as if you were a customer. Can you find the contact page easily? Does the map load? Is the text legible in sunlight?---
Pro Tips for Success
- Prioritise the 'Fold': Put your most important information (your ABN, service area, and contact button) at the very top of the mobile screen.
- Avoid Flash: It doesn't work on mobile. Use HTML5 for animations instead.
- Check your 'Viewpoint Meta Tag': Ensure your site's code includes
. This tells the browser to fit the content to the screen width.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using 'Fixed' Elements: Sidebars that don't disappear on mobile take up valuable horizontal space.
- Too Much Content: Mobile users scan. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and clear headings.
- Ignoring Local SEO: Ensure your Google Business Profile is linked and your address is easy to find for local Brisbane searches.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Problem: My text is overlapping on mobile. Solution:* Check your CSS for 'fixed widths' (e.g.,width: 600px). Change these to percentages (e.g., width: 100%) or use max-width.
Problem: The site looks good on my phone but Google says it's not mobile-friendly.
Solution:* Check your robots.txt file. You might be accidentally blocking Googlebot from crawling your CSS or JavaScript files, which means Google can't 'see' your responsive design.
Problem: Images are blurry on mobile.
Solution:* You may be serving images that are too small. Use 'srcset' attributes to serve higher-resolution images to 'Retina' or high-DPI mobile screens.
Next Steps
Now that your website is mobile-friendly, it's time to focus on converting that mobile traffic. Check out our guide on Optimising Your Google Business Profile or learn more about Local SEO for Brisbane Businesses.If you find the technical side of mobile optimisation overwhelming, the team at Local Marketing Group is here to help. We specialise in building high-performance, mobile-first websites for Australian SMEs. Contact us today for a free mobile audit of your site.