Mobile-friendly Websites: Google’s Big Shift

Mobile-friendly Websites: Changes to Google’s search rankings on smartphones came into play yesterday. Faced with ‘Mobilegeddon’, lots of companies are having website MOTs done to make sure they are seen on mobile devices.

Last week, Google came under fire for plugging its own services through its searches. Even so, the web giant has around a 9/10 market share. And there are no signs of a power shift any time soon.

The search ranking changes mean that the look and functionality of sites on mobile devices are even more important.

Sites will need to be relevant, fast, and easy to use on mobiles to rise to the top of Google’s search feeds.

Looking stylish is nothing without the right optimisation. Developers and designers need to keep their knowledge up to date to get the most out of mobile-friendly websites or Responsive Web Design (RWD). It is growing in influence and Google says good RWD is a must to stay high in the rankings.

The facts speak for themselves…

• In 2015, adults will spend more time online on their phones than on computers (an average of 2 hours and 26 minutes each day versus just 2 hours and 13 minutes for computers) (source: eMarketer).
• Almost half of the users’ web solutions on smartphones begin with a search engine (source: Net Marketshare).
• Debt management company Baines & Ernst recently boosted their mobile conversion rate by 51% by making their website perform well on smartphones (source: Google Developers).

Blumilk’s web development team has a history of helping clients stand out in digital. James is one of the development team at Blumilk. He says, “There are all sorts we can do depending on our clients’ objectives and their existing websites, which are always unique. We can also do training in analytics and SEO to help people get the most out of their new sites. We always make sure their business needs are met in full.”

NHS Northumbria, Doc Black, Scarborough College, NSECH, and Six at the Baltic are among clients whose sites Blumilk has made with the mobile market in mind.

As mobile internet use gathers pace, give us a call and see how we can help you get ahead of the competition.