Have you heard the news? It’s been a little hard to avoid the last few days, there’s even a hashtag that has been created (#Mobilegeddon) and hundreds of tweets talking about it.

So what has everyone freaked out? Google has announced a big change to their search algorithm for mobile searches and today that change went live. With the changes to the algorithm, searches done on a mobile device (cell phone) will now show mobile-friendly websites higher than sites that are not responsive. (That’s a mouthful!)

At Blueshoon, we’re thrilled that Google has made this push. Websites that aren’t mobile-friendly are missing out on valuable traffic. We know that with tight budgets and limited time, a responsive website may seem like a low-priority for your team. However, we disagree!

Here are our top Four Reasons why your website needs to be mobile optimized.

1. Google’s search algorithm has changed. Depending on what parameters you choose, mobile usage is exceeding or will soon exceed desktop usage. But check your own analytics. How many visitors to your website were on a mobile device? Can your business afford to rank lower in searches simply because you don’t have a responsive website design? (Tip: To find out how many of your website visitors were using a mobile device, log-in to your Google Analytics Account, and go to Audience>Mobile>Overview.)

2. Your website is often the first interaction that your customers will have with your brand. When a website isn’t optimized, a mobile device will load your website in its entirety as if you were viewing it on a computer monitor, except that monitor is now roughly 20% of its original size. What do your images look like at 20 percent of their original size? Pretty small, right. (Want a quick and easy way to see what your website would look like on a mobile device? Use MobileTest.me to view your website in a simulated mobile device.)

3. On top of your images, your text is also going to shrink. Your visitor will be forced to pinch their screen to expand the page and to awkwardly scroll across the expanded page to read the content. How long do you think they’ll stay on your website to find what they’re looking for before giving up? Experts quote average time on a page to be anywhere from 10 – 25 seconds, so making your visitor zoom in to read your page wastes valuable time. Ultimately, frustrated visitors will leave your site faster and increase your bounce rate while decreasing the average time that visitors spend on your site.

4. Do you have links on your page? We’re guessing that there isn’t a single website design that doesn’t include at least some links. With a mouse, it’s fairly easy to click on any link. That doesn’t hold true when your visitor is on a mobile device and using a finger to click on the link. Do you have multiple links clustered closely together in your text? It’s going to be hard for your visitor to select the correct one. Is there a drop down menu on your navigation header? Are the options spaced widely apart enough for easy finger clicking?

Those are just a few of the many reasons for why all businesses need a mobile-friendly website. Ultimately, every business needs an easy-to-use site that will keep visitors exploring your products, services, and/or offerings without frustration.

Is your site mobile optimized? Contact us for a free website assessment.