The pressure on businesses to update their websites to meet new mobile friendly design standards has just been ramped up!
We received an email from the Google Webmaster Tools Team which urged us to fix mobile usability issues found on a client’s website. The email went on to state:
Google systems have tested 2 pages from your (client’s) site and found that 100% of them have critical mobile usability errors. The errors on these 2 pages severely affect how mobile users are able to experience your website. These pages will not be seen as mobile-friendly by Google Search, and will therefore be displayed and ranked appropriately for smartphone users. (bold emphasis mine)
This announcement that “mobile-friendliness” will soon be a ranking signal for mobile search should please users of smartphones. However, business owners are beginning to feel the heat.
Fix mobile friendly design usability by April 21st, 2015
This new Google policy will take effect on 4/21/2015. It doesn’t leave much time for website owners to update their sites.
Local search traffic will be “up for grabs” as businesses scramble to bring their websites into compliance.
The potential long-term effects of Google’s new policy could be devastating for small businesses. Those who choose to ignore the new standard put their business at risk.
Is your site mobile responsive?
MyNetBizWeb was developed on the WordPress platform. It uses the Genesis Framework with a “responsive” theme from StudioPress. To see how Responsive Design works, try viewing our site on a range of digital devices. Now compare how your current website/blog appears on the same devices.
Attention business owners
Is local search traffic important to your business? Would you like it to be?
Are many of your best prospects using smartphones to find you?
Can you afford to lose their business?
If Google decides your site is not “mobile-friendly,” you may see your all-important local search traffic plummet! Are you beginning to get that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach?
What should a website owner do?
The mobile friendly design issue must be addressed sooner or later. Several approaches are available — all involve your time or your money. If you have the time and expertise, go ahead and do it yourself. Otherwise, contact us. We will be happy to design an affordable custom solution for your business site. The cost of doing nothing may break your budget!
Create a separate mobile-friendly version?
You could create a new version of your website just for viewing on mobile devices. This solution would require maintenance of two versions of your site going forward. Duplicate content issues would have to be handled. This could easily become an expensive nightmare.
Modify your existing site?
Another solution would involve making many site-wide (template) and page by page changes. This may solve the current problem, but will not protect you from future changes in mobile technology. And it will most likely be labor intensive.
Migrate your site to WordPress?
Consider the following important points:
- Smartphone traffic to your website will soon be on par with your desktop traffic!
- Over 60 million websites currently run on WordPress — from small businesses to Fortune 50 Corporations.
- This large user base ensures it will remain compatible with rapidly evolving mobile device technology.
- “Responsive Design” is now built into many WordPress themes.
- They provide a great user experience on all digital devices (desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones).
- Use of a “responsive” theme solves the mobile friendly design problem.
Google’s announcement has created a lot of interest in WordPress. It is the preferred solution to this “mobile-friendliness” problem. The new standard becomes effective on April 21st, 2015.
We urge all clients to migrate their websites to the WordPress platform now!
If you are inclined to introduce mobile friendly design into your site as a “do-it-yourself” project, you will want to get started right away. Otherwise use our Contact Form to tell us what you would like us to do to improve your current website.
