Google announced that there will be changes in their algorithm that will have a “significant impact” on mobile search results not only in the US, but worldwide.
Why does Google want you to have a responsive (mobile friendly) website?
Today that it is affordable to build a website responsive, that is optimized to perfectly display the content on any screen size on a computer or smartphone and tablet, there really is no reason to not go responsive when creating a website. Google understands that users expect a user-friendly experience no matter what device they use to open a website. Browsing a website that is not responsive is inefficient and frustrating. More often then not phone numbers or email addresses are not clickable, information is not found or difficult to read and users leave the website, which results in a high bounce rate on the page.
Why do you want to have a responsive web design?
Basically for the same reasons. Today around 80% of users open a website from their mobile device. This is the majority of users. Creating a user-friendly environment for them is vital to generate business from your website. Content and important information should be easy to access and not hard to get through scrolling, zooming, pinching and literally needing a pen to write down a phone number and address instead of just clicking on it.
Securing these 80% is one thing, but generating more leads and customers through your website and gaining a competitive advantage is the other thing. Your customers find you by searching for a service they need and you offer. You should be the one showing up on Google before your competition. A responsive website helps here.
Why do you need an expert creating your responsive website?
Google uses a tool called the Googlebot that crawls the web continuously. This tool checks any subpage and piece of content on your website. If only one element in one subpage is non-responsive it will effect your Google ranking and decrease the effect of your SEO efforts. A professional web developer uses SEO tools to assure that the website is completely responsive and cross checks every single section to make sure your content is displayed the correct way on any device.
Immediate SEO results. How to improve your google ranking instantly
Let’s be realistic here. It usually takes a while until SEO efforts kick in. In general it takes 6 month into the search engine optimization strategy to see results in Google ranking when working with a professional SEO company. However, making your website responsive has an immediate effect on your ranking. Googles algorithm will be searching for responsive websites as a significant ranking signal for mobile searches and therefore ranks any responsive site higher than non-responsive. This goes both ways though. Any changes that are not optimized for different browser sizes and mobile devices have an immediate negative effect on your Google ranking. This is why professional companies provide their customer with the right tools in the form of a customized content management system that prevents the admin of a website from changing content into non-responsive elements.
Why make mobile now?
Getting a head start can make a big difference in current and future sales. Being one step ahead of your competition can drastically increase your loyal customer base. The other way around, keeping up with the market is very important. Don’t let your potential customers go somewhere else and make sure they know that you offer what they need. This paired with a professional looking, well designed and user friendly website is the ultimate sales tool for your 80% and converts potential leads into loyal customers.
Take this knowledge to your benefit and get a head start now.
