There was a point in time, you may remember, when the vast bulk of web searches took place on desktop or laptop computers. Those days are done; more and more internet activity is now taking place on mobile devices, and a website that carries its weight in this day and age must be optimized for mobile. Wayne Gretzky famously quipped that you should watch where the puck is going rather than where it is; in this case the puck is flying in the direction of mobile.
Google is well aware of this, of course, and between now and April 21 they’ll be rolling out some changes that make it even more important to have a mobile-friendly website.
Search experts are referring to the change as “Google's Mobile Armageddon,” which seems a little extreme, but in reality it could negatively impact the performance of websites that aren’t up to snuff. Specifically, the Googlebot will be analyzing sites to determine whether they're mobile-friendly or not, and prioritizing the mobile-friendly sites on searches conducted on mobile devices. So, if a homeowner in your area pulls out their phone and searches for a contractor to come upgrade their attic, the contractor that gets the business is the contractor with a mobile friendly website.
It's increasingly critical to have a mobile-firendly website.
The above shot shows a "Before and After" of a size that has undergone a mobile upgrade.
Note the large text and strong calls-to-action.
What does "mobile-friendly" mean?
Just the act of having a mobile site by April 21st may not be enough. There are certain specific factors that Google will be looking at when assessing whether or not your mobile website is up to snuff. We've broken them down for you here:
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Mobile "unfriendly" software - Your website should not use software (like flash, for example) that may be incompatible with mobile devices.
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Readability - The text on your website should be sized to be easily read without zooming in.
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Resizing or Responsive - Your website should automatically resize to the device so users can read content without flipping, scrolling, or zooming.
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Accessible Links - Your links should be large enough and far enough apart so that mobile users can easily click on the one they want without zooming in.
How can I tell if my site is mobile-friendly?
Google outlined their new mobile parameters, however there is still quite a bit of room for interpretation. For example, is there a comprehensive list of uncommon software out there? Are the "easy to read" standards set by an 18-year-old with 20/20 vision or Google's resident Great Aunt Edna? How far apart do links have to be to qualify as far enough apart?
All of these are valid questions. So how do you know for sure if your website will be impacted negatively?
Thankfully, Google has provided a handy list of tools to help you identify any problems before the day of reckoning. The following is an excerpt of suggestions taken directly from Google’s official announcement:
- Check your pages with the Mobile-Friendly Test
For a more in-depth look at what makes an effective mobile website, be sure to check out our article on building an action-based mobile site that drives leads.
I’m an Energy Circle customer. Am I safe?
The Energy Circle Platinum platform incorporates responsive design natively on all sites. So if you're on Platinum, you have nothing to worry about.
If your site is on the Energy Circle PRO platform, you may or may not have a mobile-friendly site. If you didn’t choose the mobile option when you first signed up with us, please fill out this questionnaire. There’s still time to make the upgrade. We’d hate to see any of our customers lose any traffic.
Don't stress. This is an opportunity not just a threat.
Although Google claims that they aren't throwing the switch until April 21, we have been observing improved performance in local search packs for sites that are already mobile friendly. It's anecdotal for sure, and many factors go into how well you rank in local packs, but I have a hunch that the mobile friendliness component may have already inflitrated the local algorithm.
We're always looking for those "first mover" opportunities to help Energy Circle customers leap ahead of the competition. Getting a jump on mobile looks like it may be one of those.