On April 21, 2015, Google updated its algorithms to favor websites that look and perform better on mobile devices, making them appear higher on search results. If you find this disconcerting, Google may actually be doing you a favor by forcing you to implement a mobile website.
The reality is that today 50 percent of people use mobile devices to search the Web. Mobile-friendly websites make it easier for users to search, read and interact with content on the inherently smaller screens. With mobile users expected to reach 6.1 billion by 2020, search on mobile devices is only expected to increase.
If this data doesn’t convince you, ask yourself or your customers how they search the Web for information. For many, a phone or tablet device is likely in the equation.
If your small business doesn’t have a mobile-friendly site, there are two issues you could face:
- You risk losing business because potential customers may not be able to see all you have to offer when accessing your website on a mobile device.
- You risk your business becoming invisible with Google’s new change as you will fall lower and lower in search results.
The good news is that it’s relatively easy to create a mobile-friendly website or to convert an existing website to a mobile-friendly site. Here are some actions you can take to keep your small business competitive:
- Find out if your site is mobile-friendly — Take Google’s mobile-friendly test.
- Contact your website provider or developer and ask them how to update your site so it’s mobile-friendly. You can sometimes customize this yourself depending on your website software. If there’s a choice in Web design, opt for responsive Web design. Responsive Web design recognizes the type of device you are using to search and enables a site to seamlessly adjust on any screen, like a desktop, tablet or smartphone. This creates a better mobile experience for the consumer — so there’s no zooming, pinching or scrolling. A positive user experience can mean more mobile sales for your business.
- If you don’t have a website, create your own mobile-friendly website. It’s easy to do by using tools available through registrars, website builders and other hosting service providers. These tools range in cost from free to expensive depending on your need and budget.
The time is now for you to make sure your website provides the best user experience, and that means making your website mobile-friendly. Google’s new algorithms have just provided you with the incentive to make a mobile-friendly website your top priority.
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This article, "“Mobilegeddon:” Will Google’s New Algorithms Affect Small Business?" was first published on Small Business Trends
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