We've all seen how the relentless march to mobile is changing the way we do business.
People are using mobile devices to search for what they want, whether it's information to win an argument or running shoes to train for a local marathon. They also probably found out about that marathon online and often used their phone to see where to run. After that, the miles they ran may have been boasted about on social media.
Google is convinced that mobile is where people will search, and their announcement that mobile-friendliness will be an expanding factor in ranking starting April 21st has webmasters acting to meet this deadline. But you can check your site really quickly- right now if you have a smartphone.
Look Yourself Up On The Small Screen
It's probably a good idea to borrow a few different types of phones from friends and try to look up your business on several small screens. It is always a good idea to see what it's like to be your customer. When it comes to mobile-friendliness in Google's eyes, that little gray "mobile friendly" label lets you know they think so. But go past Google and just see what the average person sees when they look for you.
Is your website responsive? Can you read it on a smaller screen? Do you have to move the copy around to get from one side to the other? Are the links easy to find and easy to click on with a finger? Can you figure out your own business site?
If you have any difficulty, think about what it's like for someone who doesn't know anything about your business. Google wants to give preference to sites that are mobile-friendly because that is what people want. You should want that, too, even if Google isn't in the picture.
When you want to make sure your site is mobile-friendly, the first thing to do is look up yourself on a mobile device. Then you know what is working and you know what should be changed.
Photo Credit: Mobile Friendly Sites/shutterstock