Is your Website Mobile-Ready?

Whether to have a responsive, mobile friendly website is no longer an option, it’s a necessity. On April 21st, Google launched a new mobile-friendly algorithm that will impact more websites than any prior Google update. The change will seriously impact any websites that are not up to snuff, so here’s what it means and how it affects yours.

What does Google’s Mobile-Friendly Algorithm mean?

Keeping it simple, Google now rewards websites that are mobile friendly. It seeks to improve search results for users by providing “relevant, up to date, high quality search results that are optimized for all devices”.  If your website is not fully optimized for mobile devices, you are likely to see a significant hit to your search ranking.

How can I check if my website is Mobile Friendly?

When your website loads on mobile, is it just the same version as the desktop version meaning you need to pinch, scroll, expand and contract the screen to be able to use the site? If so, your site is probably not optimized for mobile. Double check your website by visiting: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/  Enter your website and click “Analyze”. Google will let you know whether the site is mobile friendly or not.

Oh No! My site is not Mobile Friendly!

Ok, so you’ve plugged your website into the link above and found out your site isn’t optimized for mobile. It’s time to move quickly and get optimized to ensure your search ranking can be saved! Three important tips for going mobile are:

Understand the Needs of Your Mobile Customer

What are the objectives of customers visiting your mobile site? What information are they searching for on mobile? Perhaps what customers seek on mobile differs from what they look for on desktop. How can you best satisfy the needs of your mobile customers?

For example, if you are a local service business, customers may simply want to find your location and submit an enquiry through a form or phone number. Alternatively, customers using an eCommerce store may want to navigate through mobile to buy online. Think like your customer to determine how best to meet their needs.

Choose a website designer/developer that knows responsive design and Google’s Webmaster Guidelines

A good developer will be adept at using best practices and guidelines when building a website (desktop or mobile) and they will ensure it is optimized for SEO. Make sure you work with a reputable Developer with a strong client list that you trust knows and understands how to optimize your website for SEO.  ( Thinkhouse!  wink, wink 😉 )

Install & Use Google Analytics

Using Google Analytics is the easiest way to continuously track how your website is performing. You should be keeping an eye on high-level results such as website traffic, referral channels, unique visitors, bounce rate and the breakdown of mobile vs desktop users. For even deeper insights, look at tracking conversions to determine the most effective acquisition channels, popular pages, popular products and behavior flow. These results can and should be used to improve your website and strategize your online marketing efforts.

If you have been putting off updating your website, procrastinate no longer!

These changes will have significant impact on search rankings for sites that are not mobile friendly.

If you would like assistance in assessing your site for mobile and determining the best forward strategy, contact Thinkhouse. We offer experienced, knowledgeable, and creative support providing website solutions as well as print and online marketing services that are tailored to fit your business goals. Check out our portfolio here and contact us today for a free assessment and to find out more!