What is Mobilegeddon?

On April 21, 2015, Google will employ a new algorithm that will affect websites that are not mobile-friendly. This means websites that are not optimized for mobile devices will drop to the back pages of search results, even if their information is more relevant to a search request than other sites that are easily accessed on mobile devices. A member of Google’s Webmaster Trends Team has said that this change may impact up to 40 percent of the websites on the Internet.

Why is Google doing this?

According to Search Engine Journal, one in four online searches is conducted on a mobile device. Last year, comScore estimated 29 percent of all U.S. search requests—about 18.5 billion—were made on mobile devices. This data confirms the increasing importance of mobile-friendly sites. Consumers are making decisions at the touch of a smartphone or tablet and Google is making it easier for them to do so.

What does a mobile-friendly website look like?

Mobile-friendly websites meet the following criteria, as detected by Google:

  • Avoids software that is not common on mobile devices, like Flash
  • Uses text that is readable without zooming
  • Sizes content to the screen so users don’t have to scroll horizontally or zoom
  • Places links far enough apart so that the correct one can be easily tapped

Is my website mobile-friendly?

If your site is not optimized for mobile devices, then now is the time to do so. Find out if your website meets the above criteria by running your company’s URL through Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.

Is your website mobile-friendly?

A recent CNBC article states “Availability is part of relevancy. People aren’t going to think something is relevant if they can’t get it to appear on their iPhone.” Access to mobile devices, with data plans, is relatively inexpensive when compared to the price of desktops, laptops and monthly Internet services. Americans with a lower socioeconomic status are more likely to access the web using tablets and smartphones than desktop computers. With the U.S. Census Bureau reporting an average household income below $50,000 for more than 25 states, businesses without mobile-friendly sites could be missing the opportunity to make their services/products available to millions of Americans.

Why RBOA?

RB Oppenheim Associates has helped dozens of associations and businesses connect with their audiences through mobile-friendly websites. We can ensure your audience finds your business when and where they need to while maintaining relevancy and availability to all.

If you are not sure if your website is mobile-friendly, please contact Michael Winn (email: mwinn@rboa.com or 850-386-9100), our Chief Digital Officer for a no obligation consultation regarding your website.