We have been talking about it for years. As technology has evolved, more and more people are turning to their tablets and smartphones for website access. Unfortunately, many businesses having spent a significant amount of money on their websites, are now reluctant to invest more to adopt the technology needed to make their websites “responsive.” A responsive WordPress website, or any responsive website, “responds” to the platform it is being viewed on.
This is not a new conversation. Consider the timeline:
Up until now, responsive website design and mobile responsive has been about design and usability. But on April 21, it will “officially” become part of your website’s search engine ranking, when Google will begin to increase the ranking of sites that are mobile-friendly and surface app results much higher. Older websites that were early adopters of web technology have long “monopolized” search engine rankings with “tenure”, but on April 21 that will probably change, according to the new ranking methods Google plans to use. Those businesses that have been reluctant to change will probably begin to feel the error of their ways, while businesses that have seen this coming will benefit.
I have already seen Google notifications received by businesses alerting them on their Google Webmaster Tools accounts about websites that are not mobile friendly. And these alerts offer suggestions on how to improve the websites. Unfortunately, not everyone has been proactive.
What Should You Do?
- Test your website to see if it is responsive, and how it looks on mobile technology such as a tablet and/or smartphone. You can use the Google Mobile Friendly Test tool.
- Use the Google Webmaster Usability Tools to identify issues and suggestions on how to remedy them.
How We Can Help
If your website is outdated and not mobile friendly, contact us to discuss your options. Don’t get left behind.
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