Not Mobile Minded? Google Sets to Snub Old Sites

by Linda M. Kleist

So, your web site is not mobile friendly? Now, Google won’t be friendly to you either.

I meet business owners every week who haven’t looked at their website since they approved it for launch some years ago. If that’s you, it’s time to dust off the old URL and survey your digital landscape. Only, don’t go to your desk top — open your site on your phone. If you have to pinch & spread to read your copy, your site is not mobile friendly.

Digital strategist, Chris Horton, posted on Social Media Today that, starting April 21, 2015, if your site is not mobile friendly, your Google ranking on mobile devices will suffer.

It may seem harsh: we small business owners have more on our plate than we can sift through and now that old website needs to be updated — again. Still, the decision makes perfect sense for a company that wants to bring the most relevant search results. When Google sniffs your mobile device, it will only bring up mobile friendly sites in your search results.

So, now you have a good reason to build a responsive site! If you don’t know where to start, here are four tips:

• If you don’t know what a “responsive website” is, visit this blog “What the heck is responsive design?”
• Go to MobileTest.me, select a device and enter your URL in the next page. How does your site look now?
• Visit Hubspot’s Coolest sites of 2015 to get ideas for your cool new site
• Find a reputable web designer to take you through the process (email us, we can connect you!)

Way back when, news came out that Apple wouldn’t support flash; it was a no-brainer that we were not going to have flash on our web site because we didn’t want to lose a potential prospect. Today, Google says you’ll be pushed behind someone who has a mobile friendly site. As serious business owners, we must do what we must for our prospects and customers to find us and learn about the stellar products and services we offer, right? Responsive sites make a lot of sense and if you’ve been ignoring your old static site, now Google is telling you it’s time to get your site readable on mobile devices.

So, find the right web designer and  have fun with it. It’s your business. It’s worth it.