57% of Google searches are on mobile
Why is mobile-friendly website design (also know as "responsive website design") so important for local businesses in Columbus, Ohio? Since 2015, Google has been saying that "more Google searches take place on mobile devices than on computers."
People use mobile devices to do everything from finding a dentist to purchasing home furniture. The reason? It's faster and easier than ever before. Consumers in every industry are expecting a good mobile experience when browsing on their smartphone or tablet.
Companies with poor or non-existent mobile websites might offer the best products or services, but will be seen as outdated—encouraging consumers to go elsewhere. On the other hand, companies with mobile-friendly websites are seen as modern and credible.
Today, 57% of Google search traffic is on smartphones or tablets according to Search Engine Land. For these reasons and more, mobile-friendly website design is very important to any small business or nonprofit organization looking to attract new customers online.
Why does Google likes mobile websites?
When searching Google on a mobile device, Google tends to give higher ranking to websites that are mobile-friendly. The percentage of searches preformed on mobile are even higher for businesses in the service or entertainment industry.
While most factors Google uses to rank websites are kept secret to prevent scamming, mobile-friendliness is one factor that Google has confirmed is important. So important in fact, that they created the Mobile-Friendly Test tool to help businesses improve.
The Mobile-Friendly Test is great for businesses to create a checklist of action items to help websites load faster—like optimizing images for web, or shrinking them to fit their context.
How to make your website mobile-friendly
If your website is not mobile-friendly or responsive, the best path is to redesign your website on a platform that is—like Wix, Weebly, or Squarespace. Often times this is faster and cheaper than updating HTML and CSS code of a non-mobile-friendly website.
Another option is to hire a website design company. Hiring a professional website designer does not have to be expensive, with companies like Makeshark in Columbus, Ohio starting at only $149/mo with no large upfront fees (see pricing plans).
Mobile devices are only becoming more popular. Don't miss new customers because your website is not mobile-friendly and showing up on Google searches.
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