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Nowadays, a majority of the people try to browse through their favorite topics on their mobile devices. That means it’s crucial to make a WordPress site mobile-friendly. If a website displays poorly on mobile devices, visitors may bounce-off to the next alternative. So you will miss out on valuable conversions or connections.
Let us assume your WordPress is not displaying correctly on mobiles. Why might that be? Well, there are a number of issues that the WordPress development services look out for. And of course, there are simple solutions. We will discuss them through this blog.
But first look at the common signs of WordPress website mobile display issues.
Signs of WordPress Website Not Being Mobile-friendly
A website that looks sharp on desktop but suffers on mobile devices can have a significant negative impact on your visitors and your bottom line. Luckily, there are tell-tale signs that can help you identify if your WordPress website might need some mobile-friendliness TLC. Here’s what to watch out for:
- Horizontal Scrolling: If visitors need to scroll left and right to see all the content on your website, that’s a major red flag. A responsive website should automatically adjust its layout to fit the screen size.
- Tiny Text and Buttons: Text that’s too small to read comfortably on a mobile device and buttons that are difficult to tap are sure to frustrate visitors. Responsive design ensures all elements are sized appropriately for easy interaction on touchscreens.
- Images Won’t Load or Appear Pixelated: Large, unoptimized images can take forever to load on mobile data connections, causing delays and frustration. Additionally, images that appear blurry or pixelated on mobile screens indicate a lack of responsiveness.
- Content Gets Cut Off: Crucial content like menus, calls to action, or important information might be getting cut off on mobile devices. It’s a sign your website’s layout isn’t adapting properly.
- Menu Inaccessibility: Complex menus that require multiple clicks or dropdown options that are difficult to navigate on a mobile screen can lead to visitors giving up in frustration. A mobile-friendly website should have a clear and easy-to-use menu optimized for touchscreens.
- Slow Loading Times: Websites that take a long time to load on mobile data connections are more likely to be abandoned by visitors. Responsive design and website optimization techniques can help improve mobile loading speeds.
- Strange Formatting: Text is wrapping awkwardly with misaligned elements or jumbled layouts on mobile devices. All of these point to a website that’s not responsive.
If you notice any of these signs, it means your WordPress website is not mobile-responsive. Before you move to fixing this problem, it’s important to understand the underlying causes. Let’s take a look.
Why Might WordPress Not Display Correctly on Mobile?
There are a few common reasons why your site might not display correctly on mobile devices. Let’s explore the reasons behind display issues and how to fix them to make your site display correctly on mobile devices.
Issue 1: Non-responsive Theme
If you’re using an older theme or one that simply isn’t labeled as “responsive”, it can cause major layout issues on mobile devices. Text might be too small to read, images might be cut off, or entire sections of the site may overlap.
Solution
Invest in a mobile-friendly theme. There are tons of great options available, both free and premium. They adjust their layout to fit the screen size of the device being used. It can provide an appealing viewing experience for all visitors, regardless of the device used by the user.
Issue 2: Plugin Conflicts
While WordPress plugins offer fantastic functionalities to enhance your website, they can sometimes clash with each other or your theme. This leads to display problems, specifically on mobile devices. You may see issues with formatting, missing elements, or unexpected behavior when users interact with your site on a mobile browser.
Solution
Firstly, you should deactivate all WordPress plugins one-by-one and test your mobile view after each deactivation. Once you find the problematic plugin, check for updates or look for an alternative that is mobile-friendly. Or you can check for plugin compatibility issues that may be causing the website to not display correctly on mobiles.
Issue 3: Cache Issues
Your web browser and WordPress can store temporary data called cache to improve website performance. However, sometimes, this cached data can become outdated, causing you to see an older website version even after you’ve made changes. Then the mobile version of your site may appear broken or display incorrect information.
Solution
First off, clear the cache in WordPress to ensure you’re seeing the latest version of your site Most caching plugins have a built-in button to clear the cache with a single click. You can also usually clear your browser cache through your browser’s settings menu.
Issue 4: Image Overload
Large, unoptimized images can be a major problem behind mobile display issues. The bulky files take a long time to load, slowing down your site’s loading speed. This results in layout issues as the page tries to render itself, causing elements to appear stretched out of proportion.
Solution
To combat this, resize and optimize images for mobile viewing before uploading them to your website. You can also install a WordPress plugin to automatically optimize image sizes for different devices while maintaining their quality.
Issue 5: Custom CSS Issues
If you edit CSS in WordPress, there’s a chance it may cause problems on mobile devices. That could lead to elements disappearing entirely on mobile versions or formatting issues. That can make websites difficult to navigate on mobile screens.
Solution
If you implement custom code on your website, it’s important to check it for any mobile-specific issues. By testing the responsiveness of websites on mobile, you can resolve the issue accordingly.
Once you fix these issues, your website will more likely display correctly on mobile devices. Beyond these, you can consult with WordPress developers to make your website more mobile-responsive.
Want to make your WordPress website mobile-friendly?
How to Make a WordPress Website Mobile-responsive?
When developing a WordPress site, it’s very important to make it mobile-responsive. A website that looks amazing on desktop but crumbles on mobile is a recipe for lost visitors. Luckily, there are several ways to ensure your WordPress site delivers a smooth experience on any device. Here are your mobile-responsive weapon choices:
Use a Responsive WordPress Theme
The vast majority of themes in the official WordPress directory and from reputable developers are built with responsiveness in mind. When choosing a WordPress theme, be sure to check the live preview or demo to see how it looks and functions on mobile devices. Many free and paid WordPress themes offer responsive design.
Install a Responsive Plugin
For existing themes that lack responsiveness, plugins can come to the rescue. Choose a WordPress plugin that can help create a separate mobile-friendly version of your website. Keep in mind that these plugins may offer less customization compared to a fully responsive theme, and might not integrate seamlessly with your current design.
Implement Custom CSS (For the Tech-savvy)
If you’re comfortable with code, you can achieve responsiveness by adding custom CSS to your theme. This approach offers a high degree of control, but requires knowledge of CSS media queries and responsive design principles. This implementation is more technical, so best leave it to professional WordPress experts.
Optimize Images for Mobile
Large, unoptimized images can wreak havoc on mobile data plans, slowing down your site and frustrating visitors. So optimize images for WordPress before uploading them to your website. Consider using a plugin like Smush or EWWW Image Optimizer to further compress image sizes without sacrificing quality.
Implement Lazy Loading
This nifty technique delays the loading of images until they are about to appear on the screen. This can significantly improve website speed, especially on mobile connections. Many caching plugins offer built-in lazy loading functionality.
Adjust the Content for Mobile View
Not all content translates perfectly from desktop to mobile. Consider prioritizing key information and simplifying layouts for smaller screens. Leverage the built-in WordPress “Read More” tag to create snippets of longer articles. And make sure menus and buttons are large and easy to tap on a mobile device.
Think about using bullet points and shorter paragraphs along with text wrapping to improve readability on smaller screens.
Use a Page Builder with Mobile Options
Popular page builders like Elementor and Divi offer features specifically designed for mobile responsiveness. These tools allow you to visually edit how your content appears on mobile devices using a drag-and-drop interface. This can be a great option for those who are comfortable with a visual approach but don’t want to mess with code.
A page builder with mobile options can help easily create an optimal mobile experience without needing extensive coding knowledge.
Once you’ve implemented your mobile-friendly solution, thorough testing is crucial. Make sure to implement A/B testing in WordPress to see what works and what doesn’t.
You can also consult with a WordPress development company to ensure your site stays responsive across devices. Remember, a mobile-optimized website is no longer an option; it’s necessary for success in today’s digital landscape.
Importance of Responsive Design
In the age of smartphones, where a lot of browsing happens on mobiles, ensuring a responsive site is necessary. Here’s a breakdown of why responsive design is crucial for any website:
- Enhanced User Experience: A responsive website ensures a seamless and consistent user experience across all devices. It eliminates the need for manually zooming, scrolling, and adjusting content, simplifying user navigation.
- Faster Loading Times: Responsive design often follows best practices for mobile performance. It includes optimizing images and utilizing efficient coding techniques. This results in faster loading times, which is crucial for user experience.
- Improved SEO Performance: Mobile-friendliness is a key factor in WordPress SEO. Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in search results. A responsive website is more likely to rank higher as it ensures your content is accessible on all devices.
- Increased Mobile Traffic: With a high portion of site traffic coming from mobile devices, a responsive site can attract more visitors. It helps capture a larger audience, as users are more likely to stay on a responsive site on their device.
- Cost-Effective: Maintaining a single responsive website is more cost-effective than creating separate versions for desktop and mobile. It reduces development and maintenance costs, as updates need to be applied only once across all devices.
A responsive design is essential for a better user experience, improving SEO, ensuring cost-effectiveness, and more. So if you want to make the best of these benefits for your website, consult with expert WordPress developers.
FAQs on WordPress Not Displaying Correctly on Mobile
Conclusion
Nowadays, a website that looks great on desktop but fails on mobile is a missed opportunity. So it’s important to make sure your WordPress website displays correctly on mobile. If it doesn’t, the issues may be due to a non-responsive theme, plugin conflicts, cache issues, image overload, custom CSS issues, etc.
Along with fixing these issues, make sure to optimize the images, implement lazy loading, and adjust the content for mobile view. Finally, you can hire WordPress developers to improve user experience and search rankings effectively.
