If you think a mobile-friendly website is not that important, think again. Google recently announced that it is switching to a “mobile first” index, which means that Google will index at your mobile website as your primary site, and that will determine your search engine rankings. If you don’t have a mobile-friendly site this could have a huge negative impact on your current search engine rankings, or future rankings if you’re working on optimizing your website for search engines (SEO).
The Increasing Influence of Mobile
According to ComScore:
- In May of 2016, mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) accounted for 60% of total digital media time spend.
- In 2015, mobile searches exceeded desktop searches for the first time
And according to the Google study What Users Want Most from Mobile Sites Today:
- 74 percent (of study participants) say they are likely to return to a company’s site in the future, if it is a mobile-friendly site.
- 48 percent feel frustrated and annoyed if a company doesn’t have a mobile-friendly site.
- 52 percent are less likely to engage with a company that has no mobile website.
But maybe you’ve heard these stats but don’t think they apply to you because your website is a business to business site? Think again. In 2015 Google partnered with Millward Brown Digital to survey 3,000 B2B decision makers about their research and purchase habits. According to the study:
- 42 percent of researchers use a mobile device during their B2B purchasing process.
- Search activity for those using a smartphone has intensified. Google is reporting a 3X growth in mobile queries.
- B2B researchers are not just using mobile devices when they are out of the office; 49 percent of B2B researchers who use their mobile devices for research do so while at work.
So, whether your customers are consumers, businesses or professionals, they’re using mobile devices as a key part of the entire purchasing process—from consideration through transaction.
The Good News
While Google is currently rolling out its new index, you still have time to get your site in shape. If you haven’t redesigned your website to be mobile-friendly, the time is now. Chief Internet Marketer can evaluate your current website, recommend improvements, make your site mobile-friendly and position you to begin to build those all-important search engine rankings.Contact us today for a comprehensive recommendation for website redesign.