With mobile internet access skyrocketing over the last few years, having a mobile friendly website has become imperative for Michigan business owners.

One obvious reason would be that mobile friendly design keeps on-the-go users from leaving your website and going to a competitor. But did you know that mobile friendly sites are ranked significantly higher in Google’s search results?

You betcha. So even if you think your target market is more likely to use a desktop to access the internet, consumers may still find your competition in an online search while your site remains invisible.

The Mobile Friendly Facts

Since Google’s Algorithm changes are primarily based on user experience, mobile friendly or responsive websites have an extreme advantage in the search results.

In 2015, Google came out with an update that would increase mobile friendliness as a ranking signal.

Read more about Google’s 2015 update (Official Google Webmaster Central Blog)

In the Spring of 2016 Google came out with yet another update placing even more emphasis on mobile-friendliness.

Read more about Google’s 2016 update (Official Google Webmaster Central Blog)

How Can You Ensure Your Website is Mobile Friendly?

If your website has not been designed or updated for a few years, it may not be accommodating your mobile visitors.  If you are not sure if your site was designed with mobile users in mind, click on the link below to take the mobile friendly test.

Click here to take Google’s mobile friendly test

If your site does not pass the test, it’s not too late to make some positive changes. Here are 3 basic steps to help you get started with mobile friendly website design.

Responsive Design

The design and structure of your site is most important when moving to a mobile friendly platform and you have a few different options.

Some Michigan business owners choose to have a desktop site and a separate mobile app while others take advantage of responsive design. At Spyder Byte Media we find responsive design is the most cost-effective option for our clients because there is only one website to maintain.

Responsive design is one website that responds to all devices and rearranges the content accordingly. So for example, if you have 3 columns of content side by side on a desktop machine, if you view the same site on an i phone, those 3 columns will readjust to display vertically.  Also, 2 different navigation menus are used between desktops and smaller devices.

Quick Load Times

If your site takes too long to load on a desktop or mobile device, internet users may lose interest quickly. For this reason, Google has included quick load times as one of their ranking signals.

What can cause a slow loading site?  Even if your site has a responsive template, the developer may have designed it poorly by adding extra bloated code.  Stay away from DIY or free templates and stick with commercial templates customized by a professional web design team.

Also, avoid large image files or an excessive amount of images on one page.

Visible Calls to Action

As a Michigan business owner, the point is to have someone contact you, right?  Make sure that any phone numbers or important calls to action are visible on all devices. If possible place these items so that users do not have to do a lot of scrolling. For example, keep your phone number in the header and the footer on all pages, if your design will allow.

Contact Our Michigan Mobile Friendly Web Design Team

If you need help with responsive web design, or if you have a mobile friendly site and you are still seeing a decrease in internet traffic, contact the Michigan SEO Experts today at: 586-260-1344.

Also, be sure to check out our portfolio of mobile friendly web designs for Michigan businesses.