Mobile Friendly Website? Now is the time, says Google
Big changes are coming at Google that will definitely have an impact on website traffic.
Google recently announced plans to change how they deliver mobile search results. On April 21st, 2015 Google will begin serving ONLY mobile friendly website results to those using mobile devices. That doesn’t affect just Smartphones folks, it also includes iPads, Tablets & Gaming Consoles too!
So, just to reiterate this point because it’s kind of a big thing…
If your website is NOT mobile friendly, it will ONLY
be shown in searches performed on a PC or Laptop.
Yep, for reals!
What this means for older websites…
So as of April 21st, if a potential customer “Googles” something on their mobile device, they will no longer be able to find you in search results. Problem for some? Maybe. For others? Definitely!
If you’re not sure how much mobile traffic you get to your website you can simply check your Google Analytics or Website Stats to find out.
What does Google mean by Mobile Friendly website?
Well, in “Google-ese”…
According to Google, a website must include the following features to be classified a “mobile friendly website” by their Googlebots:
- It avoids software that is not common on mobile devices (like Flash),
- Uses text that is readable without zooming,
- Sizes content to the screen so users don’t have to scroll horizontally or zoom,
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Places links far enough apart so that the correct one can be easily tapped.
In plain English…
A mobile friendly website is one where everything displays clearly and works properly on a mobile device. IE: it’s easy to navigate your site so things like Links are both easy to distinguish and spaced far enough apart to easily Tap for navigation. The text used isn’t too small on the screen or unreadable because of the font chosen and you can easily get in touch via a mobile device like a Smartphone or Tablet.
If you haven’t checked out your website recently (or ever…yep, we know you’re out there too) on a mobile device, you definitely should. While you’re at it, you should also check your site out on different browsers like Firefox, Chrome and Safari to name a few. Is there a difference? Adds to list…
Can I check if I have a mobile friendly website?
Yes, simply click the Google link below:
Check if your website is mobile-friendly
Recently built Websites
If your website was built or upgraded in the last year or so by a professional you should be fine as far a mobile “friendliness” is concerned. If you’re not sure, click the Google link above to check for yourself just to be certain. If your website is built on a quality CMS (Content Management System) like WordPress then you should also be fine or at least have the ability to simply add a Mobile friendly plugin to solve any potential issues.
What about FREE Website tools?
Some of the free website tools out there like Weebly and Wix may also have mobile version capabilities but you will need to check with them directly to confirm. One point I would be remiss not to mention here is that although free site tools may have a “mobile version” this does not necessarily make them a mobile friendly website. Many of these “mobile versions” can often display poorly on mobile devices with some even reverting to default or generic color schemes – Yuk! Probably not exactly the first impression of your business you’re wanting to convey, eh? It’s simply a case of you get what you pay for but it’s definitely something you should check into over the next month.
The sky is not falling dear Chicken Little…
How easy is it to make my website mobile friendly?
Upgrading a website to be mobile friendly isn’t generally a major deal. It does take some time to do and of course, it will depend somewhat on the platform the website was originally built upon. But it is something that’s definitely fixable. If you’re not sure about the next step to take, please give us a Call at 250-732-2937 or Email Us, advice is always free.
Why is being Mobile Friendly so important?
When looking into mobile a little more, it’s interesting to note also that device preference among internet users changes throughout the day. We really are coming into that second screen age where as you can see from the graphic below, outside of traditional work hours (the 9 to 5 grind) mobile devices clearly rule the night!
Personally, I can totally relate to the graphic above! During the day for the most part I’m PC or Laptop based but by evening I’ll often have my trusty iPad on hand at home while watching a movie or whatever. I can’t tell you how many times we’ll be watching a movie and an actor comes on that you just can’t place (you know those conversations right?), well thankfully there’s IMDB.com and we have an iPad, together they’ve solved many die hard arguments between movie buffs. How about you? In the evenings, if you go on, how are you accessing Facebook and the like?
Mobile is not going to slow down.
If anything you can bet your bottom dollar it will continue to grow and will eventually dominate the market, it’s all just a matter of time. Where will we be in ten years time? Where will your business be?
Ten years ago, many people thought Social Media was just a fad… Ha!
In 2015, 78% of companies now say they have dedicated social media teams handling their day to day activity. (Dashburst) Yup, 78%!
The reason? Well, 93% of shoppers’ buying decisions are influenced by social media – because 90% of users trust peer recommendations. But only 14% trust advertisements. (#Socialnomics 2014)
The #1 device used to access Social Media today? Mobile!
In 2015, a Mobile Friendly Website is Vital!
Still not entirely convinced? Really? Okay, well here’s 9 All Important Mobile Stats to take note of:
- 30% Of All Mobile Users Are Now Smartphone Users: So if you only worry about the web, you are in trouble.
There’s also a 81% rise in mobile data traffic with video as a strong driver for that. -
Tablet Shipments Increased 53% In 2013: People are still rabidly buying up tablets with no sense of slowing just yet.
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Mobile Now Accounts For 25% Of All Web Usage: That’s up from 14% a year ago.
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20% Of Consumer Media Time Is On Mobile
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Mobile advertising grew 47% yet only makes up 11% of the total – lots of room for mobile advertising to grow.
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Mobile Interfaces Are Changing Everything: From hailing a taxi (Uber), finding local businesses (Yelp), booking a hotel room (Airbnb) or listening to music (Spotify) — it’s all seemingly mobile now.
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Screens Are Proliferating: Thanks to the rapid adoption of smartphones and tablets, there’s almost always a glowing rectangle in sight.
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The Second Screen Era Has Arrived: This opens big opportunities for companion content. It also helps us avoid commercials, after all, why watch untargeted TV commercials when you can tweet, post, comment or share?
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Smartphone Penetration Grew Around 17% In Top Markets Like USA (59%) And UK (68%): At the same time mobile traffic’s percentage of total Internet traffic is growing 1.5X per year, and it’s expected to keep growing that fast or faster. Our world continues to go mobile fast. source
On April 21st, the Game Changes – Are you Ready?
Questions?
If you have questions about upgrading to a mobile friendly website, please give us a Call at 250-732-2937 or Email Us, advice is always free.
To learn more about Mobile Friendly Websites and what Google has to say about them, please visit:
https://developers.google.com/webmasters/mobile-sites/