Why You Must Be Mobile-Friendly Now
Google announced that it will start to rank websites with mobile-friendly designs higher in its search engine results pages. This is an important step towards a more mobile-friendly web and we want to help make sure your site is ready for the big change. It's not enough to just know you need a responsive design, here are 7 ways you can get started on improving your site today:
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Update Your Site Content
One of the best ways to make sure your site is ready for mobile is to update your content. Make sure that all of your pages are mobile-friendly and easy to read on a small screen. Most importantly, focus on creating short, concise content that is easy to digest.
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Check Your Links
Another important part of making sure your website is mobile-friendly is to make sure your links work properly. You don't want a broken link or image to ruin the user experience. Verify that all of your links are working and if any images need replacing, do it now!
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Make Sure You're Not Doing Anything To Limit The Screen Size
One of the problems with mobile devices is that they have smaller screens than a desktop. This can be a problem for sites that are designed for desktop users, as it can limit the amount of content that is visible on the screen. Avoid using fixed width layouts and make sure your site is scalable for different screen sizes.
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Add A Responsive Menu
One of the best ways to make sure your website is ready for mobile is to have a responsive menu. Don't force users to scroll down, or worse, navigate via drop-down menus. Make sure that there are large tappable areas on all of your pages so users can quickly get where they want to go.
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Create Different Versions Of Images For Mobile
Another thing you'll want to do is create different versions of your images for mobile users. You can do this by changing the size or file type (jpeg vs png) of your images without affecting their quality. Most image editing programs allow you to change the parameters, like width and height, without losing quality in the image.
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Use Google Chrome To Test Your Website On Mobile Devices
Google Chrome has a great tool that allows you to see how your website looks on different types of mobile devices. This is a great way to troubleshoot any problems with your website's design and make sure it looks good on all devices.
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Optimize Your Site For Smartphones And Tablets
Last but not least, make sure that your site is optimized for smartphones and tablets. While the change to mobile-friendly sites may hurt some websites, it can also help with search results on smartphone devices. Make sure you are following Google's guidelines on how to optimize for smart phones/tablet devices.
As you can see, Google has made it clear they want to make the web more mobile friendly. Don't let your site become the next big fail! Follow these simple steps to start making your site ready for Google's Mobile Update. If you have any questions about how to improve your site, please feel free to contact Sharp Tack Media and we'll be happy to help!
