In April of 2015, Google launched what everyone came to know as the “Mobilegeddon”. It was a game-changing update for Google’s search algorithm that massively punished websites that weren’t mobile friendly. By “punished” we mean that the search ranking of those pages went down significantly, making room for the mobile-friendly websites.

There are 2 things that you should consider when thinking about mobile-friendly websites. The first one is the fact that search rankings haven’t changed, if we’re talking about laptops or desktops. A mobile-friendly website is only going to rank higher if searched for on smartphones, tablets or other mobile devices. However, the second thing that needs to be taken into consideration is that mobile searches have risen more than 500% in the past 5 years. In comparison, desktop and laptop searches have only seen a measly 40% rise. In the present day, people use their mobile devices more often than their PCs, especially when searching the Internet.

Below, we’ll show you why it’s absolutely essential for your business to have a mobile friendly website.

Mobile Device Usage is on the Rise

2014 was the first year in which mobile search traffic surpassed the traffic generated by PCs. Since then, the mobile industry has continued to rise in popularity. Technology has made mobile devices powerful enough to fit the needs of the average customer. The majority of people use Google from their mobile devices even when they’re at home. Due to the changes in the search results algorithm and the increasing popularity of mobile devices, the need to have a mobile-friendly website also arises.

Business Income Will Suffer

There are two aspects that are connected to the decrease in profits. The first one is the fact that your page loses a lot of visibility if it’s not mobile-friendly. The decrease in page ranking could mean a harmful halt for your business. Ask yourself: when was the last time you’ve ever scrolled past the 5th or 6th search result? How about reaching the 2nd page of the results? If the answer to any of these questions is “rarely” or “never”, you will understand why ranking is so important when it comes to search results. Having a mobile-friendly website ensures that it will stay high in the search results - as long as it delivers relevant content, naturally.

Crucial For Local Businesses

One of the biggest benefits of switching to a mobile-friendly website comes for local businesses. Due to the complete business integration offered by Google, your business will be much more easily discoverable. Google’s latest algorithm ranks local businesses higher than other businesses, because customers usually search for something that is nearby. Moreover, results from several studies have shown that the conversion rates of local businesses that have mobile-friendly websites are more than twice as high.

Conclusion

Although it may not be recent news anymore, Google’s algorithm improvements have totally overhauled how websites are ranked in the search results. The combination of factors that lead to good page rankings on both desktop and mobile search results should be taken into consideration when designing your business’ website because a mobile-friendly website will reach a higher number of potential customers, while also providing a higher conversion rate.