The importance of mobile compatibility

/in /by

Are you not sure if you need to make the switch to a mobile-friendly website? Do you even know how your website looks on a smartphone or tablet? How hard is it to make the switch? Here are some answers. 

1. How important is a mobile-friendly website? Beginning sometime back in 2014, more people began accessing websites using mobile devices than their personal computers. When someone uses a phone or tablet to access a website, their behavior changes: many times they want directions or the ability to click to call. Those accessing a website on their phone generally have more disposable income and generally perceive businesses with mobile-friendly websites in a positive light. If all of that does not convince you, then there is this: beginning April 21, 2015, Google began giving preference in their search results to websites that met their mobile-friendly test.

See if your website passes Google’s mobile-friendly test.

Go to test

 

2. How does my current website work on a smartphone or tablet?  A website that is mobile-friendly allows for full interaction on the smaller, touch-based screens on mobile devices automatically. This means that the website itself automatically readjusts itself based upon the size of the screen on which it is being viewed. The easiest way to determine how your website works on a mobile device is to actually bring it up on several different types of devices: an iPhone, a Kindle, an iPad, etc.  If this is not practical, then the next best thing is to use a simulation site, which demonstrates how your site might look on a mobile device. One that we recommend is MobileTest.me.

See what your website looks like on a mobile device.

Go to MobileTest.me

 

3. How hard is it to make my website mobile-friendly? Depending upon how your website is designed, it may or may not be that easy to make the switch to a mobile-friendly site. If your website was built recently using a tool such as WordPress or Joomla, it may be quite easy to switch by just applying a new theme. If your site is older, more work may be needed. It may also be time to give your website a refresh anyways, so many times switching to a mobile-friendly design is the perfect time to add new features and functionality.

I hope this article has been useful. If you have any questions on this article or how Imperial Digital can help, drop us a line.