Check your website’s search results today. Many website owners have discovered that their website has suddenly tumbled far down in search ranks. And when potential customers can’t find you online, your business will lose out on revenue that will go to your competitors instead.
Why? On April 21, 2015, Google made dramatic changes in the way it ranks websites for mobile users, nicknamed Mobilegeddon. Put simply, if a user runs a web search from a phone, tablet, or other mobile device, they gives a higher ranking to mobile-friendly websites. And in this case, “mobile friendly” means satisfying. You can read all about it in Google’s standards for use from a small-screen device.
It’s Complicated
The web wasn’t always like this. In the good old days a single design worked for every device – because every device was basically the same: one desktop computer monitor looked pretty much just like any other. Those were the easy days.
But today, the wide range of devices means nearly infinite variety in screen size, proportion, touch or stylus interaction, and so on. Each makes a difference in how users interact with your website, especially compared to your laptop or (gasp!) desktop computer. So if you still expect users to “click” on a button using a trackpad or a mouse, but they’re really navigating with their index finger and a display the size of an iPhone, Google will send them somewhere better suited to their device. Bummer.
How Does Your Website Rate?
Is your website mobile-friendly? There’s an easy way to find out: use this test to find out how search engines views your site. You’ll see a display like this:
Type your address in the “Analyze” field, then click the button. In less than a minute, you’ll get your results. Here’s what you’re hoping to see:
You can safely ignore “temporary errors.” But if you see other issues, such as a display like this one, it’s time to get to work.
So your website flunked the mobile responsive test, now what?
Fixing or updating a website that’s “Not mobile-friendly” according to search engines depends on how your you built your site and the platform that you implemented. If you use blogging software like WordPress or Drupal, you may need to do nothing more than just update the theme without going back to the drawing board . But if you have a DIY site put together on Wix.com or Go Daddy’s Website Tonight, it is time for a new platform: neither of these systems function well — and sometimes, don’t work at all on mobile devices.
A reputable web firm or a good in-house IT staff should be able to review Google’s guidelines and get your website mobile-ready. But what if you don’t have your own internal web team? Most small businesses don’t. And that’s where we come in: Charmlab’s team of website gurus can take a look at your current website, and help you by implementing a mobile responsive update. Don’t panic now that the new Google algorithm is live— we can help you quickly, reliably, and far more affordably than hiring your own IT staff, and much more profitably than taking time out from running your business to become your own mobile website expert.
Who has time for that? We do. Contact the Charmers for a complementary mobile website friendliness check and advice for making it friendlier. Call CharmLab today, because making the web friendlier is what we’re all about.
