Since yesterday 21^st April, Google has implemented its new algorithm ‘Mobilegeddon’. As you all can guess from its name, this new algorithm not only will prioritise mobile-friendly websites, but also will penalise those website that aren’t optimise for mobile devices. So we’d better have a mobile optimisation strategy within reach!

But do not panic! We still can fight and optimise our websites for mobile users. Let’s see how!

I have divided this post in 4 sections:

1. What is mobile optimisation?
2. Why is it so important to implement a mobile optimisation strategy?
3. Why does Google care so much?
4. Best practices and tips to implement a mobile optimisation strategy.

 

1. What is mobile optimisation?

Mobile optimisation is the use of a “responsive design” in our website, so its layout and design can be adapted when accessed from a mobile device. That’s why we have to bear in mind different aspects if we want our websites to be correctly displayed in different devices.

As you can see, columns in my website are adapted to the size of the different screens.

There are different trends when implementing a mobile optimisation strategy. For example, we can see that some sites prioritise their mobile version (called “mobile first”), while others use a responsive design that can be adapted depending the device that are used to access their sites. It is important to analyse our traffic and see what devices our audience is using to access our website and implement the correct strategy.

Among all the changes that must be implemented in a mobile optimisation strategy, optimisation of images and graphic elements is one of the most important. Mobile versions prioritise visual content rather than script files. However, we also have to bear in mind the text (it must be readable without zooming.

 

2. Why is it so important to implement a mobile optimisation strategy?

They way that users interact with website is changing very fast. Now we can access the Internet whenever we want, wherever we want. We can just use our mobile phones while we wait for the bus to read a blog post or use our tablets to watch any TV program instead of the TV.

Traffic from mobile devices is increasing and we have to be prepared for that. If our website isn’t adapted for mobile users, we risk losing a very important part of this traffic. Our audience will get tired of waiting our sites to load and they will go somewhere else on the Internet to look for the information they want.

That’s why we have to pay special attention and the time that our website takes to load, the size of the images displayed in our websites and the readability of the text of our website and blog posts. We have to simplify the navigation through our website if we want our readers to stay longer and enjoy their user experience. They will appreciate it!

 

3. Why does Google care so much?

We all know at this point that Google is the most important searcher in the world. Why is that? Probably because it is also one of the best, right?

Google is aware of the amount of traffic that comes from mobile devices and that’s why they want to prioritise and make website-friendly websites rank higher in its searches.

Also, they want that their ads in all websites to be as mobile-optimised as possible. That would be translated into more revenue for them, as it would be easier for users that come from a mobile device to access these ads. It makes sense, right?

At the end of the day, Google is prioritising the website of owners that cares about offering the best experience to their audience, which from my point of view, also makes sense. If you really care, Google will take it into account.

 

4. Best practices and tips to implement a mobile optimisation strategy

Before implementing the following tips, you need to know how your website looks like in the different mobile devices. Try these sites (click & click) and have a look! You can also check if your website is already mobile-friendly in this website.

Now that you know what it looks like, it’s time to improve its aspect and practicality:

• Simplify. Try to make as simple as possible. For example, if your contact form has 6 fields to complete in your website, try to make it simpler and delete some fields in the mobile version.
• Plan your strategy. People using mobile devices want things as quick as possible. What do you want from them? If you want them to send a contact form, try to reduce the number of click so they can get there sooner. Think about what you want your audience to do in your website and plan what you’re going to change in your mobile version to make it easier for them.
• Branding elements. Try to adapt your branding elements to the different screen sizes. Maybe you need to get your logo redesigned, or a smaller version of it.
• Use white spaces. You need to leave some white spaces, otherwise all the elements will be all cluttered and your reader won’t be able to click some links or read the text.
• Avoid flash or java. It will make your website load slower and could not be compatible with some devices.
• Allow people to visit your site. There can be some problems with your mobile version in different devices. So we need a plan B, just in case. That’s why you should always enable this choice in your mobile version.
• Compress your pictures. You can use some online tools such this one to compress all your pictures. The quality will be the same, but they will load faster. (Magic, isn’t it?!)
• Do not use pop-up windows. They may be useful for someone navigating from his computer, but they’re very annoying when you’re on your mobile. Even more if you don’t know how to escape from them!

And what about you? Is your website mobile-friendly? Do you use any more tips to boost its mobile version? I want to hear from you!