If your website doesn’t have Google’s “Mobile-Friendly” label, you could be losing customers. Here’s why.

Google Launches “Mobile-Friendly” Labels in Mobile Search Results

Google is all about providing the best experience for its users. This past Tuesday, Google announced that mobile-friendly websites will get special treatment:

Have you ever tapped on a Google Search result on your mobile phone, only to find yourself looking at a page where the text was too small, the links were tiny, and you had to scroll sideways to see all the content? This usually happens when the website has not been optimized to be viewed on a mobile phone.

This can be a frustrating experience for our mobile searchers. Starting today, to make it easier for people to find the information that they’re looking for, we’re adding a “mobile-friendly” label to our mobile search results.

Google is Experimenting with Special Ranking for Mobile-Friendly Sites

What’s more, sites that earned Google’s mobile-friendly label may be rewarded with a “boost” in the search results:

We see these labels as a first step in helping mobile users to have a better mobile web experience. We are also experimenting with using the mobile-friendly criteria as a ranking signal.

61% of Mobile Consumers will Leave your Website if it’s not Mobile-Friendly

Goggle’s not the only one who will “penalize” your site for not being mobile-friendly:

• 38% are more likely to contact a local business that has a mobile site
• 57% say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly-designed mobile site
• 61% will leave a non-mobile site for a competitor’s whose is

Source: Constant Contact: Why Small Business Owners Need to Pay Attention to Mobile and Local Search

Mobile-Friendly Website—No Longer a Luxury

Whatever its users consider important, Google will add as a ranking factor. When consumers starting using reviews and social media to decide which business to buy from, Google took notice. Mobile-friendly labels are another aspect of that philosophy.

These facts should serve as a stern kick in the pants for small businesses who’ve been neglecting their mobile web presence. It’s time to get serious or risk losing market share to national competitors with a better mobile strategy.

Additional Reading:

• Search Engine Land: Google Officially Launches “Mobile-Friendly” Labels in Mobile Search Results
• Search Engine Land: Google Experimenting with Special Ranking for Mobile-Friendly Sites
• Local Search Insider: The Lines between Social, Local and Mobile Continue to Blur

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