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Is Your Website Optimized For Mobile Traffic?

Is Your Website Optimized For Mobile Traffic?

| Jan 22, 2015 | Mobile, Website Optimization

file000132267159-300x225With the new year upon us, there’s no better time than now to optimize your website for mobile traffic. According to the analytics and data company comScore, mobile U.S. Internet traffic surpassed desktop traffic for the first time ever last year. The report reveals that 55% of the nation’s Internet usage during the month of January 2014 came from the mobile devices, whereas personal computers accounted for just 45%. Failing to deliver a website that’s fully functional on both desktops and mobile devices is a serious mistake that will hurt your traffic, and subsequently, your sales.

What’s Causing The Mobile Trend?

The trend of mobile Internet usage is expected to grow in the years to come. So, why are so many people choosing to access the Internet on their smartphones and tablets instead of PCs? There are several different factors contributing to this trend, one of which is the technological advancements of smartphones and mobile devices. With next-gen smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S5, Google Nexus 6 and HTC One (M8), users can easily access their favorite websites without firing up a bulky desktop computer.

Another element contributing to the increased use of mobile devices is the expansion of high-speed 4G networks. Some users receive faster speeds when accessing the Internet on their 4G-connected smartphone as opposed to their cable modem or DSL-connected desktop.

How To Create a Mobile-Friendly Website

Google supports three different configurations for creating mobile-friendly websites:

  1. Separate Mobile Website – involves the creation of a mobile website on a separate URL. This method is typically more laborious since the webmaster is forced to update and maintain two sites, and search engines may have trouble indexing the content since it’s placed on two URLs.
  2. Dynamically Serve HTML – serves different HTML based on the user agent. The server checks the user’s device, showing him or her either mobile-optimized HTML or desktop-optimized HTML. Problems identifying the user’s real browser, however, may lead to the wrong HTML being displayed.
  3. Responsible Web Design – we saved the best for last. Responsive Web Design (RWD) serves the same HTML on the same URL to all users, regardless of their device. It’s characterized by the use of proportion grids and CSS3 media queries to specify rules for how the website is displayed. Technical jargon aside, it promotes a positive, universal user experience on all devices.

Note: Responsive Web Design is the only configuration recommended by Google. When the Mountain View company recommends something, it’s usually a good idea for webmasters to heed its advice.

Test Your Website For Mobile Compatibility

Google offers a free tool that will analyze your website to determine whether or not it’s compatible on mobile devices. Visit https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/, enter your website’s URL into the box, and click “Analyze.” Within a couple of minutes, it will reveal any problems Googlebot encountered while attempting to view your site from a mobile user’s perspective, such as “Text too small to read,” “Links too close together,” “Mobile viewport not set,” “Content wider than screen,” etc.

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