Businesses that weren’t ready for the so-called “Mobilegeddon” are paying the price with an estimated 10% loss of traffic according to Adobe.

Luc Wade blogs:

Back in April, Google updated its search algorithm to give mobile-friendly websites preference in ranking for organic searches.  The negative effects of Google’s algorithm update resulted in giving priority to websites that display well on smartphones and other mobile devices.  Sites that were not optimised for mobile experienced a decrease of up to 10% in organic traffic the study said.

Many big sites were caught out including BBC and Easyjet.  They were quickly updated but what about smaller businesses?  According to a study in 2014 by Hibu fewer than 10% of SMEs had a mobile-optimised website.  This probably hasn’t changed much but it should matter to you.

Why this should matter to you?

More than two-thirds of UK adults are smartphone owners. Mobile devices are transforming the way we consume content and shop online.

Websites that haven’t attempted to improve their mobile friendliness have likely seen a drop in mobile-specific rankings. This in turn will lead to a decline in traffic to your website which is ultimately bad news for new patient numbers.

Then there’s the user experience. As a rule, responsive web design creates an optimal cross-device viewing experience. Google is a fan because they are straightforward, day to update on a regular basis and compatible with ‘search spiders’ eager to index your content.

It’s REALLY important

People accessing information online typically do so on mobile devices nowadays and not desktop computers. It’s very likely that as much as 40-50% of your website visits are from people using mobile devices.

Dental practices take note: people searching via a mobile device are also more results-focused than those on a desktop computer, which can mean quicker purchase decisions.

FACT 1: A recent study by iAquire and Survey Monkey found that 70% of mobile searches lead to action on websites within one hour.

FACT 2: The same study showed that 40% of people will choose another website if yours isn’t mobile-friendly.

Make your dental website mobile friendly

First things first, is your current website deemed by Google to be mobile-friendly?  Take the test here.

If you would like some help with your website please get in touch:

Call 01872 300232 or email us at hello@hivebusiness.co.uk.