Matt Brown Designs

Google’s Emphasis on Mobile-Friendly Sites – What it means to you

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Mobile Responsive Mockup

Is your site Mobile-Friendly?

On March 26 Google announced:

Starting April 21, 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. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices.

So what does this mean to you and your business?

Basically if your site in not mobile responsive – meaning it looks good on any device – then you will be penalized and your ranking will suffer. This will negatively impact your site will because you appear lower, in the results meaning fewer potential customers will find you. Also, it also means if your competitors have a mobile responsive site, they will appear before you, again resulting in a loss of revenue for you and a gain for your competitors.

So how do you tell if your site is mobile responsive?

Just Google your site on a smartphone and see if it has “Mobile-friendly” before the description.

Mobile Friendly

A Mobile Friendly Site

If you see “Mobile-friendly” before your description then you are good to go. If you do not see “Mobile-friendly,” it’s time to make some changes to your site. The first thing to do is to take the Mobile-Friendly Test. This tool was developed by Google, to tell you exactly what you need to do in order to make your site more mobile friendly.

Not Mobile-Friendly

A site that is not Mobile-Friendly – Google Mobile-Friendly Test

Now that you know what needs to be done to make your site mobile-friendly, here is a short list of great resources that can help:

  • Google’s Official Announcement – Google’s announcement on their upcoming update.
  • Mobile Usability Report – If you use Google’s Webmaster Tools, the Mobile Usability Report will give you a full list of mobile usability issues across your entire site.
  • Mobile-Friendly Test – A great tool by Google, if you want to test the mobile-friendliness of individual pages on your site.
  • Google’s Mobile-Friendly Getting Started Guide – This page has multiple guides to help you get started, providing both technical details and advice for working with a developer.
  • Google Webmaster Central Hangout – This is an hour long video with John Mueller from Google Switzerland, who answers questions from Webmasters, developers, businesses, etc about this upcoming mobile-friendly update.

Now is the time to seriously look at your site and ensure that it is mobile-friendly before Google rolls out its update on April 21. Google’s Mobile Usability Report, a part of Google’s Webmaster Tools, is the quickest way to find out how mobile-friendly your site is. If you are not currently using Google’s WebMaster Tools, I highly encourage you to start. They provide a ton of great information related to your site. After that, you need to start updating and fixing your site yourself, if you have the technical skills, or by finding a developer who can do prepare your site for Google’s update.

Why You Need A Website?

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Did you know four out of five people use search engines to find local information?

When you want to find something what do you do? Google it! This is why having a clean, professional looking website is crucial. Your website is the initial impression potential customers or clients have of your company. So, it is essential that you make a positive impression. Here a few reasons why having a website is important to you:

  1. Competition.  This is one of the strongest reasons to have a website. Many of your competitors will already have a website showcasing themselves and their services. Knowing that 80% of potential customers start their search online, where does that leave you? Don’t lose valuable customers simply because you don’t have a website.
  2. Convenience. Imagine you are out somewhere and left your stack of business cards at home. How would you inform people about your business? Well, your website is your new electronic business card that is always available and accessible. Not only that, but it gives potential clients much more information about you and your services than a business card. Also, what if someone asked one of your customers for a recommendation? Now, your customers can easily recommend you even if they don’t have your business card handy.
  3. Credibility. Remember, 80% of potential customers start their search online, so your website is your opportunity to make a good impression. A professional, attractive website shows that you are committed to your business and that your customers are important to you. Think of making a website as an investment for THEM!
  4. Building Relationships. Having a web presence is a great way to build relationships with your customers.  It’s easier for you to keep in touch and keep your customers up to date with a website, via newsletters or blogs. Unlike your business hours, your website is available 24/7 so your customers will always have an avenue to contact you.
  5. Advertising. A website is one of the best and least expensive forms of advertising. In addition, you can give potential customers much more information about your business. Not only that, but your website can easily be updated with new content or promotions to keep customers coming back.

Having a website for your business can be a tremendous asset. It provides potential customers an easy way to find you and allows you to communicate important information to your existing customers. If you want to attract more customers and increase revenue, consider creating a website to showcase your business.

References

Google Think Research