It is no secret that Google plans to adjust their algorithm so that mobile-friendly sites will now rank better than those that are not, especially on, well…….mobile devices. This move makes perfect sense as more and more people are using their tablets and phones to perform searches, contact businesses and even shop online. Speaking from personal experience, I use my phone to do quick research, find local companies or look up information more frequently than my home computer. I have it with me at all times, so it is easier to access.
Why is Google Doing This?
Google is all about improving user experience. And browsing a clunky, non-mobile-friendly website on a small cellphone screen does NOT make for good user experience. You’ve probably been there yourself: trying to press tiny navigation buttons only to click on something else by accident. Frustrating, isn’t it? But remember that Google users are also your potential customers. So the easier you make it for them to find the right information on your website and fill out that contact form, the better for your business (and for Google!)
What does this mean for your business?
It’s simple: mobile friendliness is a part of the SEO picture, and so your site needs to be mobile-friendly. If it will affect how visible your company is to potential customers, there is absolutely no reason not to invest in a mobile-friendly website in this digital age.
For most websites, it won’t necessarily be a huge investment. In the past, we’ve been able to tweak existing websites to be more mobile-friendly for just a few hundred bucks. That price could vary depending on how well your site was built beforehand and how large it is.
However, if your site is pretty dated, with some significant archaic code, then it could take a lot longer and it may be worth redesigning it from scratch. Think about it: why get a new case for your old cellphone with cracked screen if what you actually need is a new cellphone. At our Gettysburg web design company, all new site designs are automatically built to be responsive (mobile-friendly), so there are no extra fees involved.
And if your site uses flash or is built entirely in flash, forget it. You need a redesign right away to compete with other companies in your niche that use standard web infrastructure.
How do I know if my site is mobile-friendly?
There are a couple ways you can test.
1. Open your website on your own mobile device or tablet. Do you have to zoom in to see any of the content? If so, it is highly likely that your site was not built to be responsive (adjust to the dimensions of the screen it’s being viewed on).
2. Do a search for keywords that you normally rank for on Google while on your mobile device. Do you see the “Mobile-Friendly” tag next to it? If so, then Google has labeled your website as mobile-friendly and you will be okay.
3. Use Google Developers Mobile-Friendly Test Tool. This tool will take a few seconds to analyze your website and let you know if your site ranks well for mobile searches. It will even show you a screenshot of what your site looks like on a mobile device.
My site isn’t mobile-friendly, what should I do now? Help!
Hey, it’s cool. There are a lot of sites out there that aren’t mobile-friendly yet, and that could play to your advantage. We can provide an in-depth technical analysis of your website and let you know whether or not it can be adjusted to be responsive and mobile-friendly, or if a redesign is your best option. Either way, our cost-effective solutions are guaranteed to work with your budget, because that is what we do.
The best advice I can give right now is, obviously, make sure your site is mobile-friendly. When it comes to choosing a company to redesign or maintain your site, choose a company that also has a site that is mobile-friendly. You’ll at least ensure that the company you work with knows how to help your business in the best way possible, because they are able to do it for themselves as well.
