Mobilegeddon: Is your website ready?

If your site has only one version and that is not responsive or tailored for mobile phones, get ready. He may be on borrowed time, at least in the traffic that comes through search engines.

The new update of Google , which comes tomorrow in the air, is what the experts SEO are calling Mobilegeddon (union of Mobile + Armageddon words), you want to put the pages that are not friendly to mobile phones and mobile devices to the latest positions in the search engine.

It is expected that this Google update favoring good experience Mobile affect the rankings more than some other very impactful updates like Penguin and Panda.

Why Google is changing?

Google has the focus to create the best search experience for the user. We are leaving the era of “engineering” the search for the “experience” of search. People want to access content differently on their smartphones.

If your site is not adapted to mobile, it is very likely that the user pay a visit, have a bad experience and not come back. Today no one wants to waste time browsing a site that does not help you get to your information in a few clicks and it is difficult to navigate.

From now on, have a suitable site is no longer an option but an obligation for companies who want to continue in the race for placement on the first page.

How to prepare for the mobilegeddon?

First you should check if your site is or is not prepared for the mobilegeddon. You can check this by tool WebMasterTools . With it, you can check which pages on your site are friendly for mobile devices, or not.

To do this, go to WebMasterTools, go to the left menu, click “Search Traffic” then “Ease of use on mobile devices.” In this panel there is a chart and a list of errors that shows which pages of your site is not optimized for mobile viewing.

In addition to Webmaster Tools, Google offers the Mobile Friendly. This tool, it analyzes a specific page of your site and says if she is optimized for mobile or not. It also gives important tips on speed and use of optimization for a better user experience.

If the diagnosis is negative, it is important to be aware of important changes to your site. This will require planning and investment. And most importantly: the longer you wait, the worse will be the consequences in their future strategic digital marketing .

There are three viable options to follow.

1 – Site Mobiles

Are sites with focused layout and programming for mobile phones and other mobile devices. Usually a second version of the desktop site.

Benefits

• It can be customized to mobile users;
• Must be the most friendly version of your site for mobile phones and the like.

Disadvantages

• Constant maintenance (rather than a static site);
• Higher costs for updating content because it is at least two sites;
• risk need to be completely redesigned to meet future browsers.

2 – Responsive Sites

Simply put, responsive sites are those designed to adapt to different screens. They are generally more complicated to build and have a higher cost of design.

Benefits

• A flexible site and works on all devices, adapting to the screen size;
• This is Google’s recommended configuration;
• It may be a better return on investment, since most of these sites will not need much maintenance in case of emergence of new browsers.

Disadvantages

• higher initial cost;
• You may have errors at the time of conversion to other formats.

3 – Use plugins on your site

WP Touch

The ideal plugin for websites created in WordPress. It turns your layout in an alternative format displaying a lightweight interface for visitors to navigate smoothly on mobile devices. A great outlet for you that want to be prepared for mobilegeddon.

Benefits

• You own administrative panel;
• It allows you to use templates;
• You can monetize the mobile version with ads;
• Free for a single template.

Disadvantages

• Sets only the part of the Blog, skipping the home page;
• For advanced options you need to pay;
• You need to add Mobile Bots manually.

Duda Mobile

This is another plugin that converts pages with desktop format in mobile versions.

Benefits

• Optimizes virtually all elements arranged on the page;
• Synchronize the updates of the site to the mobile version;
• It is compatible with all major smartphones (iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone);
• It features a free basic plan and works on any browser.

Disadvantages

• The free version comes with the logo of the plugin in the top bar;
• Few options for the free plan;
• Panel to assemble mobile site a bit tricky and out of WordPress.

Results in the Digital site we chose to use the WP Touch as initial solution. We are creating a new blog with theme 100% responsive to all mobile devices.

It is a well-configured theme and easy to read. In addition, Google is recognizing our website as Mobile Friendly, what is the purpose of this plug.

The changes are here to stay. We must follow these updates and suit the new rules. The faster your adjustment, the better your performance against your audience and a step ahead of your competition.