Will you survive Google’s Mobilegeddon?

Starting today, Google will reward responsive websites in its search results: if your site is not mobile-friendly, it will be pushed down Google’s almighty search results and probably never heard about anymore if you don’t do something about it.

You’ve been told over and over again that responsiveness has become a non-negotiable feature for websites but you didn’t listen, did you? It’s time to ditch the Flash website your nephew made all those years ago, even if it made his Grandma very proud. The Digital Transformation has been happening for quite some time now, and Google is going to force it upon you, whether you like it or not. And that’s a good thing.

Bro, do you even Internet?
Why? Because progress, that’s why. An ever-increasing part of Internet traffic happens on mobile phones, and mobile phones don’t like non-responsive websites. Zooming in and out, vainly looking for buttons or being unable to look at an entire web page is utterly frustrating when you’re looking for information on the move via your mobile phone. What’s Internet good for if you need a laptop to find anything interesting right here, right now? Not much.

Google knows this and is trying to accelerate the technology shift. That is a good thing, because it will make your mobile experience smoother, faster and more efficient. Even non-mobile users will benefit from this, because so many websites are going to be updated and thus become better at what they’re meant to do, which is providing information, entertainment and services. Mobile websites are designed to be simpler to use, to-the-point and focusing on user experience. It’s about time websites stop being thought out as “shove-it-all-online” catalogues and become user-friendly service touch-points.

Now what?
The first thing to do is to check Google’s test site to find out if you’re about to be relegated to the cemeteries of the Web. If this is the case, something needs to be done. Maybe this is the sign you’ve been waiting for to finally update your online portal. Who you gonna call? Not Ghostbusters, silly! Emakina, of course…

Article by: Thomas Halter