A business trying to thrive in a digital era belongs to the dark ages if its website is not responsive to a mobile device. Having a brand new design or a separate set of codes for every device is a cumbersome task. Not only does it hog up a lot of time, but it also turns out to be the least cost-effective method for the long haul.
Every web designer today knows the basic principles involved with the responsiveness of a website. It should render perfectly no matter what kind of device the user is browsing on. Of course, that’s the ideal scenario. But to ensure that the same is applicable practically, thorough mobile testing is mandatory.
The multi-screen universe has vastly expanded in the past few years. With the advent of smart devices, one can’t necessarily predict fixed screen sizes. One day, your users will be browsing your website on a sleek tablet. The other day they might want to switch to a smartphone with a small screen!
Businesses have no control over user behaviors and their device preferences. But they can make sure that their website renders the same useful results irrespective of the device. After all, businesses can’t afford to lose customers just because their official website loads a massive sidebar in their mini-screens!
Why Should You Use Mobile Web Design Testing Tools?
Did you know that a majority of your potential customers take their smartphones while they are using the restroom? They are either checking their Facebook or Instagram News Feed, recent Tweets or browsing the web. In any scenario, if they come across your website, it’s your responsibility to hook them up!
Now that we have exemplified enough the importance of a responsive mobile site, let us move on to how you can ensure the same. You can always test your site on hundreds of devices. But chances are, you might never be able to cover every device on the planet. After all, there is a new launch coming up almost every other day! Not to mention, this will drain your budget as quickly as the speed of light.
But what if there were some means to check responsiveness on multiple devices in a virtual environment? That way you won’t have to fill the e-waste basket with endless outdated devices! The easiest way to ensure that is by using a reliable and effective mobile web design testing tool.
Top 5 Mobile Web Design Testing Tools
Before your website reaches the screens of potential customers, it is your responsibility to be absolutely certain about its responsiveness. There is a wide variety of tools out there that can help you make sure that your site is multi-screen ready. Here, we’re listing the top five web design testing tools that will never fail your mobile users. So, let’s dive in.
- LT Browser
LT browser by LambdaTest facilitates the viewing of a website on various devices and screen resolutions interactively. Apart from smart device search, the LT browser allows adding multiple devices at the same time. It comes with 25+ popular virtual devices according to the market share. In case you are unable to find your device, this tool help add a custom device.
LT browser facilitates capturing screenshots, marking bugs, sharing the marked bugs, recording videos of test sessions, and keyboard shortcuts. A combination of these impressive features makes all tasks easier. You can also store the screenshot and video recordings in the cloud and share it any time you want. Some other aspects of the LT browser cater to include user experience, compatibility, pixel perfection, etc. Plus, the debugging features allow users to tackle design issues as soon as they arise.
Besides testing how your website looks in different resolutions and devices, the LT browser also offers an option to rotate the device. This way, you can easily compare how the interface looks in both landscape and portrait modes. All in all, whether you are a website analyst, designer, or developer, LT browser is the best way to go.
- Responsive Design Checker
If you are looking for a simplistic tool with a neat interface, Responsive Design Checker can provide a hassle free mobile web design testing experience. It has the provision of checking a website in portrait and landscape modes. This, in turn, helps in finding any possible bugs easily.
There is an option for adding a keyboard as well. It allows you to check how much screen your visitors can see after they enable the keyboard. This particular feature comes in real handy if you are testing an eCommerce website that requires user input. All you need to do is enter a web address, click on the go button, and select the device.
The tool offers a wide array of mobile devices. You can also check out responsiveness on different screen resolutions. Browse thoroughly until you have checked the entire website for responsiveness. You can even grab some screenshots to easily keep track of your mobile web design testing.
- Responsinator
Responsinator is one of the most beginner-friendly mobile web design testing tool available. Its specialty lies in the easy-to-navigate interface and simple functionalities. The impeccable browser-based tool is available completely free of cost. It contains a repository of some of the most popular screen sizes and shapes. Once you enter your URL you can clearly see how your site renders in various resolutions, devices, shapes, and sizes.
Responsinator takes interactive testing up a notch by enabling users to check various functionalities in detail. For instance, you can type in the search bar and click on links to check how everything works. This tool works for both Android and iOS devices. It also offers web design testing in both portrait and landscape modes. This way, you can get a complete idea of the responsiveness of your web pages.
You can also check out different sections of your site such as single posts, webpages, contact forms, and so on. All you need to do is click or tap on the respective buttons and enter the relevant data. The best part about using Responsinator is that you can add new devices quickly. Users can even scroll through the entire page. This way, you can see every bit of the webpage instead of just what appears above.
- Screenfly
If you are looking for or a tool that offers basic mobile web design testing along with pixel measurements, your search ends with Screenfly. Depending on the component you are testing, you can enable scrolling or view a static screen. It has been around for a long time and does its job really well.
Apart from smart devices, the list of featured devices on Screenfly includes desktop, television, and tablets. Sharing tools allow you to work on responsive testing as a team and view the results together. You can add custom screen sizes to expand the scope of your testing.
From clicking buttons to rotating and scrolling, Screenfly includes testing of various functionalities in the browser itself. Enter the URL, take your pick for or screen size and device, and see how well your site renders.
- Google Mobile-friendly Test
The simplest, yet, the most overlooked means to test website responsiveness on mobile devices is a test by Google itself. A website that passes Google standards has high visibility. Google mobile-friendly test is available to everyone free of cost.
Once you enter your URL, you can check out in detail how your web pages score on mobile devices. It also pinpoints the areas where your website lacks. This way, making fixes becomes easier. The search console provides an alert if there are any critical website errors.
Final Words
Is the page loading properly on every device? Are all the clickable areas tappable? Are the image placement, font size, and text alignment adaptable to the screen size? These are merely three crucial questions out of the many whose answer has to be yes without a doubt! Users need easy navigation or they will run straight to your competitors in the blink of an eye.
It is not an overstatement that the internet presence plays a massive role in the success of any business in the 21st century. But as the trends pertaining to browsing patterns change, businesses have to keep up with the pace. Speaking of which, the rising trend for mobile devices is not here to disappear. Lives are getting busier and people like to stay informed even when they are on the go. Every single person on the street has a smartphone in hand. People no longer have to sit enclosed in four walls to browse the web.
You have to test the appearance, layout, and functionalities of your website before potential customers get a glimpse of your business. No one really has the budget to get hold of hundreds of devices. While there are plenty of tools available at your disposal we listed out these 5 due to their ease of use and impressive results. So, if you wish to accelerate the testing process, these tools are your way to go.
Rene Bennett is a graduate of New Jersey, where he played volleyball and annoyed a lot of professors. Now as Zobuz’s Editor, he enjoys writing about delicious BBQ, outrageous style trends and all things Buzz worthy.
