07/11/2016
Is your website ready for the next Google mobile rollout in January?
At the beginning of August, Google announced that they would be penalising mobile websites that use pop ups. You know the type, the ones that flash a full page advert or similar up when you click onto the page.
This all ties in with recent changes to how Google ranks mobile websites. Given that in certain sectors, mobile website views out rank desktop views by 9 to 1, it's easy to understand why Google is trying to make the internet a better place for mobile and tablet users.
There will be some exceptions to the pop up rule such as pop up cookie policies, newsletter sign up forms, or log in screens that protect passworded areas of websites and blogs.
It's worth looking at some of the other things that Google considers important for mobile browsers. I'd advise checking that you're compliant before January as you stand to lose out on a lot of mobile traffic if you're not.
1) Make sure all mobile text is readable without having to pinch and zoom
2) Don’t rely on Flash or other clunky, unsupported software.
3) Keep your content easily scrollable
4) Optimize for local search if applicable
5) Design your content for fat fingers and thumbs:
– Don’t put links too close together.
– Keep your buttons large.
It's worth loading up your own website on your phone and checking how easily you can navigate, does your content reformat itself so that the text is easily readable without having to zoom etc. If not then you need to start thinking about a website redesign
http://www.onlineteam.co.uk/
The Online Team based in St Helens offer web design, logo and graphic design and SEO and online marketing services. We serve St Helens, and the North West.