Smartphones are part of our identity. We always have them by our side and use them for fundamental tasks throughout our everyday lives.

From scheduling doctor’s appointments to ordering dinner, smartphones are behind everything we do. It’s no surprise that mobile searches are now outnumbering desktop computers searches.

“In fact, more Google searches take place on mobile devices than on computers in 10 countries including the US and Japan.”

Mobile-friendly website design started off as a cool option but not an essential function. Now, Google’s algorithm is changing to favor mobile search. Responsive websites can be viewed across any device. If you have one, you’re in the clear.

On the other hand, old, outdated website designs are in trouble. If you don’t have a responsive site, you won’t rank on the first page of Google. It’s that simple. The change is already in effect and there’s no time to fall by the wayside.

Here are the Top 5 Reasons You Need a Mobile-Friendly Website:

1. Google Has 2 Different Search Indexes: One for Mobile Search and One for Desktop Search

Google is splitting its Search Index into two separate versions, prioritizing mobile over desktop. With your SEO at stake, responsive website design is now more important than ever.

According to Google, “Our algorithms will eventually primarily use the mobile version of a site’s content to rank pages from that site, to understand structured data, and to show snippets from those pages in our results.”

What does this mean for your website?

“If you have a responsive site or a dynamic serving site where the primary content and markup is equivalent across mobile and desktop, you shouldn’t have to change anything.”

Google’s algorithms will use the mobile version of your website to rank its pages. In other words, if you don’t have a mobile-friendly version, you won’t appear on the first page of Google search results.

And let’s face it, if you’re not appearing on the first page of Google, you may as well have not appeared at all. Less than 10 percent of people actually look past the first page.

Google already has begun making this shift and has transitioned a small selection of sites to the mobile-first index. The change is expected to officially roll out sometime in early 2018.

2. More Searches Are Done On Mobile Devices Than On Desktop Computers

Google is adopting the mobile-first index because it’s keeping up with its changing customer base. As of 2015, mobile searches outnumber desktop searches.

“Today, most people are searching on Google using a mobile device. However, our ranking systems still typically look at the desktop version of a page’s content to evaluate its relevance to the user. This can cause issues when the mobile page has less content than the desktop page because our algorithms are not evaluating the actual page that is seen by a mobile searcher.”

The goal is to streamline the search process for their primarily mobile users.

“Mobile-first indexing means that we’ll use the mobile version of the content for indexing and ranking, to better help our – primarily mobile – users find what they’re looking for.”

With smartphone traffic on the rise, it’s safe to say that majority of your website traffic is attributed to mobile users too. This means that your website should cater to your mobile users. It’s no longer a part of your digital marketing strategy. It should be your digital strategy.

3. On-The-Go Consumers Search for Local Businesses Using Smartphones

Our fast-paced world is fueled by instant gratification with smartphones at the center of this phenomenon. When questions occur, the first place they look for the answer is on their smartphones. This also goes for local businesses, services, restaurants, and product searches.

Anytime a customer is looking to buy a product or service, they want a business within their local area. The way consumers search reflects this.

• Pizza place near me
• Local dog groomer
• Carpet cleaning near here

These are all searches done by on-the-go people looking to connect with your business directly from their smartphones. Keep this in mind: If you don’t have a mobile-friendly website, you won’t have the opportunity to reach these busy consumers.

4. Local Smartphone Users Are Action-Oriented

After someone searches “Pizza place near me,” or whatever your product or service may be, they expect to visit a website that’s easy to navigate on their smartphone.

Your website design needs to display your information in an easy-to-understand way for mobile users. Potential customers want to learn more about you, contact you and buy from your business. Your mobile website should make it easy for local customers to do exactly that.

Your mobile design shouldn’t just display information on small devices. It should be formatted to reflect consumer psychology and behavior. They want their information as quickly and easily as possible. Whether that’s finding directions to your business, clicking to call, purchasing online or pulling up your delivery menu, they want the process to be upfront, quick and painless.

5. You Can’t Afford To Not Have a Mobile-Friendly Website

 Let’s get to the point, plain and simple. If you don’t have a mobile-friendly website, you’re losing business. Smart businesses understand the power of mobile customers. They’re a vital clientele ready to buy and interact with your business at any time from anywhere.

You have to play where you can win. Mobile search is front and center. Desktop search is trailing off. Businesses who are already mobile-friendly are ahead of the game. Late-comers have some catching up to do and we’re here to help.

Pesola Media Group specializes in customized, mobile-friendly website design. Our talented web designers are ready to build a responsive site that keeps your customers engaged. Give us a call to discover more about our website solutions! 630-385-2200

Learn more from our source.