Google Update Mobile Friendly Websites

More and more of us now own a smartphone. We sit on the train in the morning or while enjoying our coffee at Starbucks or Costa, texting business associates, friends, potential customers or surfing the web for the latest news or to make a quick purchase.

The truth is, many people today access the internet, engage with social media and buy products while on the move. And while your website may look fantastic on a desktop computer, if it doesn’t display just as well on a mobile device, you could be missing out on a significant amount of business.

Recently, there’s been a lot of talk about the importance of having a mobile version of your website, especially in light of how it might affect your Google ranking. At The Last Hurdle, we like to share the facts, ensuring you have all the information needed to make your website mobile-friendly. Yes, it is important to ensure your website looks good on a mobile device—and yes, it’s relatively easy to achieve.

Google Update Mobile Friendly Websites

Let’s start with a few key facts about mobile phone usage and why it should matter to your business:

• In the UK alone, there are over 83 million mobile phones—staggering when you consider our population is just over 64 million.
• The average active internet user now spends over 4 hours a day online, whether for work, social media or online shopping.
• Last year, smartphone internet usage surged by 39%, with innovations like 4G and widespread Wi-Fi keeping us connected wherever we go.
• Website views on desktops and laptops are rapidly declining, while smartphones accounted for 72% of global website visits in January this year.
• Ecommerce is becoming the norm, with the UK leading the way—64% of the population shops online.
• According to Ofcom, in early 2014, over 57% of us used our mobile handsets to access the internet. That figure is rising fast.

With more people using mobiles, SMEs need to make sure their websites are optimised for small touchscreens. The good news? It’s not difficult to do.

How to Check if Your Website is Mobile-Friendly

Google has outlined a set of criteria to help webmasters ensure their pages are mobile-friendly. Here are some key things to keep in mind:

• Avoid software not widely supported on mobile devices—Flash, for instance, still doesn’t work on iPhones.
• Make sure text is legible without zooming and opt for a design that doesn’t require users to scroll sideways or zoom in.
• Ensure links are positioned far enough apart so users can easily tap the one they want without frustration.

It’s easy to check if your website is mobile-friendly. Visit Google’s Lighthouse tools and enter your website’s URL. Google will test how it performs on mobile devices.

If your website doesn’t pass the test, the fix is straightforward. For example, if you’re using WordPress, there are numerous free add-ons that automatically convert your site for mobile viewing. Other platforms offer similar coding tweaks to ensure your site displays properly. Google also provides a section of their website dedicated to making sites mobile-friendly, with lots of useful tips and information.