In February 2015, when Google first announced that its now famous “mobilegeddon” ranking algorithm would be rolled out in April 2015, website owners went to great lengths to update the code and make sure their websites worked. correctly on various devices, including mobile phones and tablets, to avoid Google penalties.
Now, around 18 months later, we see how web design and development has been transformed by the increased use of smartphones and tablets and what you should expect from your mobile-friendly website.
Responsive Web Design (RWD) is now an industry standard and it shouldn’t be necessary to ask your designer if your website will be mobile / tablet compatible or not and although there may still be a bevy of amateur design agencies without scruples that add extra money to the ‘privilege’ of having a responsive site, most genuine designers simply see it as the way websites are designed today.
However, there is a big difference between mobile optimization and mobile device enhancement, just like there is a big difference between having just one website and having a search-optimized, easy-to-use website.
Many agencies will simply release content in a responsive framework just to pass Google’s mobile device compatibility test and keep the customer happy. I’ll be honest, I’ve seen some really bad mobile websites in the last 18 months, all capable of passing Google’s mobile compatibility test, but doing little to improve the experience for mobile users or generate new business. for the website owner.
Much of the problem lies in the large number of unskilled web design agencies that use outdated frag and drop site building software or third-party templates and simply don’t have the coding skills necessary to reorganize and improve content for mobile users. .
What works and looks good on a desktop computer will not necessarily work well and will look good on a mobile phone due to the size and orientation of the screen. A good designer will see your new site on multiple devices and will consider your niche or type of business and will use the site as if they were a client or customer.
Do you want a customer or customer to be able to call you by simply clicking a button? Then a clickable “call now” button should be visible without scrolling, as should your logo, business name, and navigation menu. Is your text readable on a mobile? Having different font sizes and spacing on a mobile device provides a much cleaner site and a better user experience. Simple settings for the mobile phone user can make a big difference.