By: Karli Willden
Latest Google update is all about responsive design for someone using a tablet or browsing on a phone.
Google's Latest Mobile Usability Update
If there is only one constant in the world, it is change. Google recently updated its algorithm guidelines for mobile usability and responsive websites. What this means is those websites with responsive design and better mobile usability will be ranked higher than those without. Mobile usability might include the speed of the website, the ease of navigation, screen layout, etc.
If your website does not yet have a responsive design, it is time to get it. Don’t worry, it is not too late yet, Google wants your website to succeed. With responsive changes to your website, Google can re-crawl and re-index your site on the search engine, once the site has been adjusted for mobile usability. You will want to act quickly because the longer you wait to make changes, the more your website will drop in the search engine results. Act quickly and keep up with the curve of the Google algorithm.
Benefits of Mobile-Friendly Websites:
Search Engine Optimization
As emphasized above, your website’s ranking on the search engine is determined by Google’s algorithm. The better your website is optimized for the search engine algorithm, the higher it ranks, and the more impressions, or views, your website will receive.
The algorithm frequently changes from time to time, but this recent change in the algorithm is big news to incentivize websites to have better mobile usability. With more than 7 billion mobile devices used worldwide, this change in the algorithm had to have been expected.
If you would like to be ranked higher on the search engine, then it’s time to make changes to your website and web design, to have better and faster mobile usability. If your website is not compatible for mobile, Google is going to ding you when it comes to ranking on the search engine.
Accessibility & Increased Traffic
Immediate benefits come from a mobile-friendly website, including increased traffic to your site. Google cares about how accessible websites are to viewers on any device, and offers ranking incentives to reward your website for its mobile usability.
Is your website responsive, or is it doomed to the constant scroll and zoom approach to find anything? Let’s face it, websites without responsive design are flat out irritating to visitors. You can count on a higher bounce rate when your site is difficult to navigate and access on mobile devices.
Are tabs on your non-responsive website so small you feel self-conscious about your average-sized fingers when clicking a button? Maybe in your attempt to click one tab with your finger, you seem to click three or four at once. A responsive design can help your website with these usability issues. Accessibility of your website on any device is now one of the most important factors of the Google search engine.
Decrease Your Bounce Rate
A high bounce rate can be the result of poor usability. Older websites, websites which have not been updated in a while, or websites with a poor web design can make for a poor user experience and poor search engine results.
Websites which do not have a responsive design are more likely to have a higher bounce rate than those with a responsive design; it is almost guaranteed. When a website is difficult to navigate on a mobile device, users aren’t going to waste their time on the site. Users are going to take the path of least resistance on any mobile device when it comes to technology on mobile devices.
Increase Your Website Sales
As you modify your website to be responsive and more mobile-friendly, you increase the chance of sales on your website. Think of it, website visitors will be able to spend more time on your website using their mobile device and be better able to access the information they need to make an informed purchase. It is as simple as that. If you would like to put your online business in a better position for sales, making your website mobile-friendly is the first and most fundamental step.
Get On Board With Google
Google wants to create the best user experience for its search engine by ranking websites which will benefit it users the most. Take a look at this statement by Google to Search Engine Land:
“Because at Google we are aiming to provide a great user experience on any device, we’re making a big push to ensure the search results we deliver reflect this principle. We want users to be able to enjoy the web wherever they are.”
This can be accomplished with improved mobile usability. For more information on how you can improve your website to conform with the Google Algorithm, contact Barton Consulting today for Idaho web development, webdesign and SEO at 888-379-1357.
Test Your Website For Mobility Here