Most visits today come from mobile, and Google evaluates websites by their mobile version. How to find out how your website is doing and what to improve first.
A few years ago a mobile version of a website was a bonus. Today it's the basis. On most of the websites we manage, more than half of visits come from mobile, and Google evaluates websites by their mobile version. If your website is awkward on mobile, you lose customers and rankings.
How to find out where your visitors come from
In Google Analytics 4 open Reports → Tech → Tech overview. You'll see visits broken down by device category: mobile, desktop, tablet. It's even more interesting to look at how the conversion rate differs between mobile and desktop.
What Google looks at
- The mobile version is the main one. What isn't on mobile is as if it weren't on the website.
- Loading speed (LCP). The main content should appear within 2.5 seconds.
- Response to interaction (INP). The website should respond immediately, ideally within 200 milliseconds.
- Stability (CLS). Content mustn't jump around while loading.
You can check your values in PageSpeed Insights or in Google Search Console under Core Web Vitals.
The most common problems on mobile
- Images that are too large and download at full resolution.
- Small buttons and links too close together.
- Pop-ups that cover the content.
- Long forms and unnecessary required fields.
- A phone number you can't tap.
What to improve first
- Images in modern formats (WebP, AVIF) and at the right size for each device.
- The main call to action visible without scrolling.
- Shorter forms and tappable contact details.
- Fewer third-party scripts that slow down loading.
- Testing on a real phone, not just by shrinking the window on a computer.
Tablets don't need separate treatment. A well-designed responsive website adapts to any screen width.
Design for mobile first. Desktop copes with that more easily than mobile copes with a website designed for a large screen.
