Google to penalise non mobile-friendly sites from April
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As of 21st April, all website owners should ensure sites are mobile-friendly, otherwise they could face a drop in Google rankings.
More people around the world are using mobile devices to access the internet. In fact, mobile web browsing is now the second most popular way to access the interest (after desktop) and in 2014 57% of the UK's population were using their mobile to get online.
It is Google's aim to organise the world's information and present the most relevant results to its users, and so to account for this growing use of mobile, Google have announced that important changes to help users discover more mobile-friendly content will be introduced.
Website owners have been warned to get their websites ready for changes in mobile friendly ranking factors, with a deadline of 21st April 2015.
As of this date, if your site is not mobile-friendly, your Google rankings could be negatively affected.
How will this affect me?
Make sure your website works across many platforms and devices. In Google's own words "This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices."
If you're unsure whether your sites are currently mobile-friendly, you can test this using the Google Mobile-Friendly Test . Alternatively, check with your website developer.
The solution
These changes are great news for mobile users as it will give them the most relevant results. It should also help motivate those sites that still don't have a mobile site to actually build one. If you need a solution to creating a mobile friendly site, ActSmart's partners can help...
Through the ActSmart's partnership with TicTail you can set up a bespoke, easy to use, fully functional e-commerce website in minutes. Users can choose from a number of fully optimised, responsive templates - meaning your site will look great on desktop, mobile and tablets and takes just minutes to set up.
Plus, ActSmart subscribers get free access to a number of TicTail's 'premium apps'. Click here to learn more and here to get started immediately!
Tictail is a great short term solution to ensure your business retains a web presence which will be recognised by Google even after the changes come into force on 21st April.
However, if you're looking to give your online presence an overhaul and future proof all your sites against more changes, Leadspring provide a number of online services to help your business build a presence online and promote to new audiences. Whether you're looking for a new website or search engine optimisation for your own site - Leadspring can help.
Click here to find out exactly what services Leadsring can offer. Plus, Leadspring offer a 10% discount on any of the services available to ActSmart Silver, Gold and Platinum subscribers.