Google is yet again updating the way it values sites to offer better search results for mobile users. In summary, if your website is not performing on a mobile device, you may well end up being removed from mobile search results.
This could result in a loss of 15% or more of your traffic depending on your users.
Based on how people are using their mobile devices these days, this sort of change may indeed create quite an impact on many businesses.
Will your website pass Google’s ultimate mobile-optimisation test?
Last month, Google finally made an official announcement regarding the experts’ strong speculation that there is a change to the mobile search algorithm.
In their blog post, Google explained that “starting 21 April 2015, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results.”
What might this mean for you?
- Your website traffic could decrease if it is not mobile-optimised. Google will now start showing taking preference to Google optimised websites for mobile search results.
- You might lose potential customers who are searching on a mobile device as your site will not show in search results versus those sites that are optimised.
- Your past customers will find out about your competitors – if they have a mobile-optimised website.
Google has given webmasters the “heads-up” (21 days to be exact) until implementation to enable you time to take action and make your site mobile friendly.
So what do you need to do? We’ll get to that later…
For now, let us first understand the specifics of this change so we know what exactly we need to do and how to do it!
What does a ‘mobile-optimised website’ mean?
When someone says “mobile-optimised”, they simply mean that the website’s design changes to fit the size of the device used. Our friends from Web Mobile Image nailed it when they defined mobile-optimised website as the following:
The site is designed to be read – and look good – on smaller screens, particularly on smartphones; and
The site is “thumb navigable” – includes buttons big enough so that people – even those who have big ring sizes! – are able to navigate the site using thumbs and index fingers.
Example:
Here is the desktop version of our client Shaw Vineyards’ online store:
Here is their mobile-optimised website when viewed on an iPhone 6:
How do I know if my website is mobile-optimised?
There are a number of simple ways to know if your website is mobile-optimised.
First, you can use your smartphone and open your website in your mobile browser and see the results.
But if you want to make sure that you pass Google’s mobile-friendly test, you can use this free tool provided by Google themselves.
Simply type in your website URL and wait for the results! If you see that Google sees your website as mobile-optimised, then you have nothing to worry about.
Oh no! My website isn’t mobile-optimised. What should I do?
Don’t panic. We’ve got the solution for you!
Follow Google’s instructions. If you get the “not mobile-friendly” result, Google will inform you why you got the results along with some instructions on how to correct the errors. A lot of these may be quite technical and involve a degree of coding and understanding both design elements and other behind the scene components.
Know nothing about coding?
Good news for Web123 clients!
If you have not enabled your FREE mobile-optimised version yet, contact our Support Crew now to make the change!
Need our help?
If you aren’t a part of our family yet, we’re more than willing to welcome you by fixing your website and making it mobile-optimised! Get a free quote today so we can get started and finish building your conversion-ready website before April 21st.