As of April 21, 2015 Google will now start factoring in a website’s mobile-friendliness into its search engine algorithms.
What does that mean for you?
Well if your website doesn’t have a responsive theme (a theme/style that adapts to the different size requirements of devices such as tablets and smart phones) it will be extremely hard for you to show up in Google searches, and potential clients won’t be able to find you online.
This will not impact people who already have your website address and are going to your site directly. It will mean people who are just searching online for the type of services you offer, will mostly likely not be able to find your site.
It will be like your website is invisible online.
Besides this new change at Google, having a mobile-friendly website just makes good business sense. The majority of individuals use their smartphones for searching services on the go. If your site is difficult to navigate through different devices, people will most likely get frustrated and leave before they can really find out more about you and your work.
It is time to step into 2015!
So how do you determine if your website is in the clear? It’s actually a really simple test.
- Go to https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/
- Enter in your website address
- Look at your instant results
If you see something like this, you can breathe easy knowing your site will continue to be found online.
If you see something like THIS, you should be contacting your web developer.
It is often just a quick theme update unless it was a custom-built website. However, every time you update a theme, there is the potential that you may need to reformat certain aspects of your site. The sooner you start the process, the sooner you will know what work may need to be done.
Besides you, your website is your most vital business tool. It is important to keep it up-to-date and current. Since tablets and smartphones aren’t going anywhere, this is Google’s way of making sure they are only directing people to high-quality websites. As a high-quality helping professional, you want to be on that list.
If you have been putting off updating your website, now is the time to do it. Don’t get left behind with this next change.