I know that many of you will have your own website, especially if you have a business because (very wisely), you know that in this digital age, the web is a great way to 'communicate your message' across the world.
But have you thought about who is looking at your website and with what device?
Google announced back in April 2015, websites that were not mobile friendly would most likely experience a SIGNIFICANT drop in their rankings.
That's because people around the world (estimated 73%) now use 'search' on their mobile devices far more than they do on their desktops or laptops.
The fact is that even though websites can look great on your desktop, a staggering high percentage of the same websites look dreadful on a mobile, because they have not been made 'mobile friendly'. Apparently only an estimated 20% of companies or organisations have so far made their websites mobile friendly.
We all know that our website is more likely to be seen if it is deemed 'google friendly' - ie if it complies with all the rules this highly dominent search engine throws at us. Most people would like to see their websites show on page 1 or 2 of the search engine, rather than on page 24 where it is unlikely to ever be seen!
But even if you don't care about the search engines because you don't depend on them, it's still important to get mobile friendly to not only keep your rankings but also to ensure your 'searchers' can see your site properly on either computer or mobile and understand and follow its navigation as it was intended.
Try this test - if you are on your desktop/laptop, go to: http://mobiletest.me/ and type in the address (url) of your favourite website. See what it would look like to mobile users. Does it look as good?
If you run a website either for business or pleasure, try using this web tool:
Go to: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/
Type in your website and if it fails the mobile friendly test, it will tell you and then give instructions on what to do about it. If you have made the website yourself, you should be able to follow the instructions - if not give this page to your webmaster - or whoever created the website for you, and ask them to make it mobile friendly.
If you have a private website, get mobile friendly so your family and friends can see it properly on their smart phones, and if you have a website for business...well, you need to act fast and see your website traffic and potential profits dramatically increase.
More tips next month.
Simon - thebestof Market Harborough
PS: If you have a local independent business and you'd like a FREE Marketing MOT, first give me a call - 07944 167840 for an informal 'no obligation' chat.
If you'd like to know more about becoming a business member of thebestof Market Harborough, watch this short fun video:
