Google started using “mobile-friendliness” as a ranking factor for mobile search. In layman’s terms, that means that if your website is mobile friendly, mobile ready or responsive (these terms are interchangeable), when someone does a Google search on their mobile phone, your website will rank higher than a website that is not mobile friendly or responsive. This is good news if you already have a responsive website. This is a wake-up call for those websites that are not mobile-ready.
Try Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test
According to Smart Insights, 80% of internet users own a smartphone. The majority of these users search for products or services using both their laptop/desktop and their smartphone. 47% use a tablet. The trend is clear – as browsers improve on smartphones and tablets, more and more people use these mobile devices for internet searches.
Google’s Mobile Friendly Announcement
Google’s announcement of the April 21st algorithm change comes on the heels of this trend. Their goal is to remain number 1 in search and as the number of searches on mobile devices increases, Google needs to return the most relevant and user-friendly results to these mobile users.
Beyond the fact that Google is forcing this change by reorganizing their search results and prioritizing mobile-friendly sites, a responsive website is preferable to your visitors and potential customers. Imagine searching for a product or service on your mobile phone. You click on a website and the text is too small, the images are too large and the menu items are too close together to be able to click on and get the information you need. What are you going to do? Leave that website and move on to another one. That is a potential customer lost.
Is Your Business Website Mobile Friendly?
Find out if your website is mobile friendly by using Google’s Mobile Friendly Test . If your site fails, email Interactive Palette to discuss your options. Here at Interactive Palette, we design websites with your SUCCESS in mind. That includes developing responsive websites that work on smartphones, tablets and laptops/desktops.
