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If you're not mobile friendly, you're doing it wrong [VIDEO]

When you open up your website on a mobile device, is the text all jumbled, and are the dimensions of the page slightly off? If so, then you could find your site tumbling down Google’s search rankings very soon. 

Google is about to update its search algorithm, and the alteration will be bad news for any lenders, title agents or other stakeholders in the home buying process whose websites don’t meet the monolithic search engine’s high standards. Google, which controls over two-thirds of its market, will reportedly reward websites for being mobile-friendly. Responsive web design, specifically, is what the search engine is seeking from the websites that rank higher in its listings. Additionally, Google will introduce a mobile-friendly label for websites that meet the standards set up by the new algorithm. 

Why is Google’s algorithm change so important?
The reason why Google has made mobile-friendly websites a priority for its new algorithm? Because 80 percent of consumers utilize their mobile devices for Internet searches, according to an infographic from Webby Monks explaining the reasoning behind search engine’s forthcoming changes. With the vast majority of people using their smartphones and tablets to conduct their searches, it’s no wonder why Google has decided to prioritize mobile-accessibility in its latest algorithm update. 

So what does this mean for companies whose websites aren’t mobile-friendly? Well, nothing good. With well-over half of consumers utilizing Google for their Internet queries, and even more of them using their mobile devices for these searches, just about any business whose website isn’t responsive on smartphone and tablet screens is bound to see its place in the Google search rankings fall. It is crucial that any website that doesn’t yet utilize responsive web design does so soon in order to remain high up on the search listings. Mobile-friendly websites are the new keywords.

If you’re not sure whether your website is mobile-friendly or not, don’t worry, there’s an easy solution. Google has introduced a Mobile-Friendly Test that is exceedingly easy to take advantage of. Simply visit the page, enter your URL into the text box and click analyze. You’ll get one of two results. Either you will be informed that your website is, in fact, mobile-friendly, or you will be told that it isn’t and provided with some tips as to how to make it more accessible to mobile device users. 

Google not alone in prioritizing mobile-friendliness 
Google isn’t the only search engine that has recently recognized the importance of a mobile-friendly website, though. While Google is fairly dominant within its market, other search engines do exist and Bing has also made some recent changes that recognize web pages easily accessible through any medium. Microsoft’s search site will also label webpages as mobile-friendly in its search results and rank those pages higher than those with less responsive websites. 

Any business that hopes to increase its web traffic would be wise to ensure that its website is responsive on all sorts of devices. Title agents, lenders, closing professionals and anyone else involved in the home buying process will do well to incorporate responsive web design to rise up both Bing and Google’s search rankings. 

By: Equity National   April 13, 2015     Title

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