As many web professionals are aware, Google announced last April that mobile-friendly websites will rank higher on search engines. People at the time referred to this as “Mobilegeddon,” but when the news settled, the update didn’t  make the impact one thought it would,because there weren’t enough mobile friendly websites at the time. However, if you didn’t  jump on the bandwagon yet, then times up! Google recently announced that starting in May, the mobile update will be given more weight in the ranking algorithm.

So, now that everyone is encouraged to have a mobile friendly website, what is going to set yours apart from others?

1. Having a mobile sales funnel

In 2015, Google announced that mobile searches have surpassed desktop searches.  To have an effective mobile friendly website, you need to make sure your sales process is optimized for the mobile user. Mobile users are looking for quick and easy ways to get things done online. If your checkout process and/or contact us forms take longer to fill out on your mobile website than your desktop version, you may want to look into optimizing that experience for the mobile user. A mobile sales processes should be short and concise.

2. Do you need that app?

Ever get tired of hearing “Do you have an app?.” There are a large amount of businesses out there that have apps that are more of a bother than an asset to their business. Before you spend money to develop your app, ask yourself these two questions:

•  Does my app make it easier to purchase a product or service?  
•  Is this app improving our ability to serve customers?

If the answer to both of these is not yes, then it’s time to ditch your app idea. Wondering what a good app experience looks like? Look no further than Starbucks.. Starbucks rewards program through their app makes it easier for customers to make purchases quickly and stay in the know of their new products. Customers also have the ability to order their drinks through the app, allowing them to skip the long lines and have their drink ready as soon as they come in. If this isn’t improving their ability to serve customers, we don’t know what is!. As of last year, Starbucks Rewards Program application had 10.5 million active users. They’re doing something right!

3. Google AMP Project

If after all this you’re still on the fence about whether or not to have a mobile friendly website, Google will change your mind with their Google AMP Project. The Accelerated Mobile Pages Project is an initiative by Google to provide users with fast information. For many, reading on a mobile device can be a frustrating and slow experience. Pages are constantly reloading or you can’t scroll to see all the information, causing people to leave your page. The AMP Project is going to allow publishers to create mobile optimized content and have it load instantly everywhere. You will be able to style your own pages, with little restrictions, to look and feel like your brand.

If you’ve already made your website mobile-friendly, you will not be impacted by the change that occurred  May, but it is still a good idea to continually evaluate the experience your mobile users are having while they are on your website. If you need help checking to see if your website is mobile-friendly, refer to the Mobile-Friendly Test. This test will not only show you if your website is mobile friendly, but it will give you tips on how to improve your mobile site. In today’s world, being mobile-friendly is no longer an option.