“We are in a mobile world and we have to think mobile-first.” ~ Kristin Hall, Google
A lot of people in the home improvement business – a lot of people in most businesses, in fact – have suffered some significant angst over the last month both prior to and following Google’s algorithm that optimizes search results for websites that are defined as Mobile Friendly (MF).
Relax
Most of that angst came from concerns about how the change would affect a business’ website’s organic search results. Some business owners are still concerned, but not many have seen any significant change, either in the ranking of their sites or the traffic generated. That includes increases or declines, or lack thereof.
Realize What MF Means
Mobile Friendliness means that your website is easy to view on a smartphone. It means that it is easy to read, easy to navigate and does not take long to load. Many larger businesses have created apps for smartphones. That’s a good thing for them, but it is costly and is not necessary to achieve MF.
Realize What MF Really Affects
The algorithm only affects searches conducted on smartphones. Mobile Friendliness does not affect search result rankings on either personal computers or even tablets. This is a good thing. No, it’s more than that. It’s a really good thing, because it is highly likely that most home improvement businesses are not Mobile Friendly, with the exception of some of the big box retailers.
Recognize the Reality
The first reality is that times are still a-changing. And they are changing faster than any other time in history. If history tells us anything, it tells us that we need to change with it. Think of history as a bus. Think of all the people on the bus as those who are alive at any given point in history. If history makes a left turn, but you don’t want to go there, that’s okay. You’ll just have to get off and be left behind.
The second reality is that more and more business – including searches for home improvement businesses – is transacted on smartphones. That is going to continue to increase. Do you want to stay on the bus?
The third reality is that everyone else on the bus is facing the same choice. In part, that is precisely why your ability to generate leads for your business has remained about the same. Therefore, the algorithm didn’t change much . . . yet.
Prepare for the Inevitable
While becoming Mobile Friendly may not be quite as urgent as it had originally sounded, it will become, nonetheless, inevitably necessary. Ask any Boy Scout. He will tell you to be prepared. Preparation now can avoid an emergency in the future. Use this time to prepare. Keyword Connects can help your home improvement business optimize your site. Others may prefer the DYI approach. We can help you too. Either way, get it done while it’s still not a problem.
Look for future posts where we will share some of the tools available to help you make your home improvement website mobile friendly. In the meantime, to learn more about successful home improvement lead generation, please contact us. We’ll be glad to assist.
