For the last few years, we’ve been championing the importance of mobile marketing. With Google’s announcement of Mobilegeddon last month, that importance just became a lot more tangible.
What is Mobilegeddon?
If you’re involved in digitally marketing your software, you may have heard the term “Mobilegeddon” floating around the web recently. It’s referring to a new algorithm update by the search engine giant Google, which announced in late February that starting on April 21, 2015, it would “be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal.”
Google’s algorithm updates are infamous among digital marketers. Mention Penguin or Panda to someone whose website has been affected, and you will hear a lot about their pain points. In the name of user friendliness, Google continues to tweak the ways in which it ranks websites for search engine results, seeking to promote and provide only the most relevant and user-friendly websites. Mobilegeddon is no exception.
So far, we don’t know much about the specific factors that play into the algorithm update. But we do know that beginning in late April of this year, websites that are deemed “mobile friendly” by the search engine giant will rank considerably higher than those that aren’t.
Why does it Matter?
If you primarily market and sell software online, with your website at the center of your efforts, Mobilegeddon could be huge. Most peoples internet experiences begin with a search engine, and that involves Google 68 percent of the time. If the search engine does not deem your website mobile friendly, you’ll see a significant drop in web visits. Tweet
But even if your digital marketing efforts focus on non-website factors like display ads, social media or email, Mobilegeddon matters – not because of a direct impact, but because of what it represents. Remember that Google is setting a trend, it’s merely following that trend. The reason the search engine will prioritize mobile-friendly websites is because it recognizes just how important mobile optimization has become in 2015.
Mobile internet usage first overtook desktop internet usage over a year ago, and is now at 60 percent – with no signs of slowing down. Tweet That means your customers are more likely to view your marketing messages on their mobile device than on a desktop computer, which means optimizing these messages for mobile is becoming crucial for market survival. From responsive email designs that adjust depending on device and client to more mobile-friendly social media messages and advertisements, prioritizing the mobile aspect of your marketing efforts is no longer an option – it’s a must.
What You Can Do?
There are several steps you can take before April 21, 2015 to make sure your site won’t be negatively impacted by the algorithm update.
First, check whether your website is mobile friendly and meets all of Google’s guidelines. The search engine offers a free tool that allows you to check just that, and it’s a great start.
Second, be sure your website is responsively designed. That means it adjusts seamlessly based on device and screen size, a feature that Google has stated will be a major determinant in whether it’s deemed mobile friendly.
Finally, even if you already operate on a responsive platform, run through each page to make sure the navigation and content is easily accessible. While Google has not announced specifically what details will factor into the ranking criteria for its update, officials have hinted that single-page optimization is crucial. Each page should have easy-to-read content and an easily accessible and usable touch navigation.
Avangate specializes in providing customer-centric, digital commerce solutions for ESD and SaaS based companies. We help our users by providing all the tools and expertise you need to accept payments online, optimize the sales process and increase your visibility, locally and globally. Contact us for more information about how our integrated payment processing, affiliate network and other digital marketing services, can help you to grow your software business.
