Mobile-friendly design has been touted for quite some time -- that's nothing new. But while it had been an optional path to take in order to improve user experience on smartphones, it's now a must for launching any website.
On April 21, 2015 Google rolled out a critical new algorithm that will boost the rankings of websites that are accessible and readable on mobile devices. This update has substantial risks for brands and publishers that don't have have a mobile app, a responsive website design, or any method for delivering mobile-friendly content.
Google noted that the update affected rankings on mobile devices only, and shouldn't effect searchers performed on tablets and desktop computers. But with wider adoption of smartphones, that's not much of a consolation for anyone who hasn't adopted a mobile-first strategy. According to the Pew Research Center, 64% of American adults now own a smartphone of some kind, up from 35% in the spring of 2011.If your content is already mobile-friendly through the use of a dynamic serving website, separate URLs, or responsive design, you're ahead of the curve. If you're still in need of a mobile solution, don't fret. Here are a few steps you might want to consider:
First, verify whether your site is mobile-friendly or not by using Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool. You can also use the Mobile Usability report in Webmaster Tools to test every page of your website.
If you're using WordPress and a non-responsive theme, head over to the Update page inside the dashboard and grab the latest version (Version 4.2.1). This will automatically apply needed security upgrades and may make your site mobile-friendly. Other content management systems may offer similar, built-in mobile solutions, so check to see that you're always running the latest software.
Contact your hosting provider to see if they have a mobile solution available. Many hosts like Dreamhost include a mobile site builder tool, which will create a mobile version of your site automatically within minutes.
Look into revamping your site with a responsive framework. Frameworks like Bootstrap, Foundation, Gumby, Skeleton, and many others, provide grid-based layouts with pre-defined base code, helping deliver beautiful, modern responsive websites with less complicated and time-consuming development.
Lastly, you can also seek the help of a developer or agency to help you rebuild your website or build a mobile app from scratch. Most developers and agencies are savvy with taking a mobile-first approach, but make sure they provide samples of their recent responsive or mobile work.
It's important to keep in mind that responsive design has really become the new standard. Even Google is now recommending this approach for a number of reasons. For starters, responsive design makes it easier for users to share and link to your content with a single URL. It's also optimized to every device, without the need for redirects or additional load time. A responsive website is also easier to crawl, so it can help Google index your content much more efficiently.
Because the update affects searches performed on mobile devices only and impacts individual pages rather that entire websites, "Mobilegeddon" has so far been less dramatic than some of Google's other algorithm updates. However, the update underscores the growing use of mobile devices by consumers. It also shows that Google is making mobile user experience a top priority, which means that brands would be wise to do same.