Google has announced that they will expand mobile rankings signals based on “mobile-friendliness.” For the past couple of years, mobile usability has been part of Google’s algorithm, but until now it has been vague with no clear method. That is about to change according to Google, yet we don’t know how exactly. Since they rarely change their algorithms this much, it is a big deal. What does this mean? Bluntly, it means if you have managed to scrape by with a non-responsive site, you are about to be in a world of mobile SEO hurt. If you have no idea what I just said, please read on, especially if you are in the equipment industry. Content marketing for tractor and equipment dealers is now a key component to being relevant online. 

We live in a Multi-screen World Where a Site is Viewed on Phones, Tablets, Desktops and Various Other Devices.

Developers, like myself, have been conscious about this for years now. Google released a study in 2012 entitled The New Multi-Screen World, which simply states that the device we use is relative to where we are, what we need to do and how long do we have to accomplish a given task. Google also recently released a New Multi-Screen World Infographic in 2014, for those who like that sort of thing.

Sometime mid-to-late 2014, mobile use exceeded the use of desktop as a whole. Yes, reread that last sentence. It is simply a fact every website owner must face. Google states in its Mobile Guide that 77% of mobile searches occur at home or the office, even where there is access to a desktop. This means that the aesthetics and usability of a website on a mobile device is as important as it is on a desktop. All of the development teams I have worked with have developed “mobile first” since 2012. So, forget “mobile first” because we are now on the verge of a solid “mobile only” era due to customer demanded convenience and personal technology.

Enter responsive design stage left. If the term “responsive design” is new to you, don’t feel bad, because you are in the majority. Responsive design, simply put, is when a website is coded to adjust gracefully to most screens it will encounter. Ever pulled up a site on your phone and it loads really small, where you have to pinch and squeeze to click a link or read text? It’s happened to the best of us. That is not responsive design. A responsive site should just naturally be optimized for whatever device it’s viewed on.

So What Does This Mean to the Equipment Industry?

I’ve looked at hundreds of equipment dealers, specifically tractor dealer, websites over the past couple of months and there is one thing 99% of them have in common -  they are not “mobile-friendly” or they use a separate site for mobile (ie m.somesite.com). The latter being the better of two options. Let’s discuss this further.

Why are Separate Mobile Sites Frowned Upon in Comparison to Responsive Design?

For one, responsive design does not require a separate site or domain, which means you only have to maintain one website. Secondly, chances are extremely high that users are accessing a site from multiple device sizes and will more than likely be presented with a poor experience. This is why Google recommends responsive design over a separate mobile site. Thirdly, Google has to crawl multiple domains (m.example.com and www.example.com), and therefore SEO becomes complicated if not done correctly (and I can almost guarantee it’s not being done correctly if you do not have an SEO guy in house). Fourthly, it negatively impacts the user experience when a user shares a mobile site url that is opened on a laptop or tablet. For instance, you share a mobile site link and another user opens it on his/her desktop. That user will not be presented with your beautiful site but with the mobile version and a poor user experience.

Now, back to why being late to the game is not a bad thing for equipment websites. With this new Google algorithm update, the equipment mobile search results are going to be in trouble. It’s sad, but there is a silver lining in that the first group to adopt “mobile-friendly” will reap the most rewards. Yet, I guarantee your competitors are right behind you on figuring this out. The immediate future is mobile. And right now, responsive design is the most suitable way to get the most out of a user.

What is my Return of Investment?

All of that being said, let me answer another question, which is “What is my ROI (Return of Investment)?” At TeamSI, we offer responsive design on every site that we build. Why? It’s simple. If people like your website, they are more likely to buy your product or interact with you. When the April 21st change gets distributed, if you are not “mobile-friendly,” you will lose the vast majority of your current mobile traffic. Why wouldn’t you want a website that is a well-dressed 24/7/365 salesperson? Online equipment is ready, and needing, for this step in innovation.

You can view the entire Google’s Mobile-Friendly Websites or comment below if you have any additional questions. Also, now is the time I should probably tell you to go check if your site will pass or fail. Use Google’s Mobile Friendly Check to get the specifics of how your site will do come April 21. You can find more specifics at FeedtheBot.