In February 2015, when Google first announced that its now-famous “mobilegeddon” ranking algorithm would be rolled out in April of that same year, website owners scrambled to update the code and make sure their websites were working properly. on multiple devices, including mobile phones and tablets, to avoid penalties from Google.

Now, around 18 months later, we take a look at 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 there should be no need to ask your designer if your website will be mobile/tablet friendly or not, and although there may still be some handling by amateur design agencies rogues adding extra money for the ‘privilege’ of having a responsive site most genuine designers just see it as the way websites are designed today.

However, there is a big difference between being mobile-optimized and mobile-enhancing, just as there is a big difference between having just a website and having a search-optimized and user-friendly website.

Many agencies simply release content in a responsive framework just to pass Google’s mobile-friendliness test and keep the client happy. I’ll be honest, I’ve seen some truly terrible so-called mobile-friendly websites in the last 18 months, all able to pass Google’s mobile-friendly test but doing little to improve the experience for mobile users or attract new ones. business for the website owner.

Much of the problem is due to the large number of unskilled web design agencies using outdated snippet and drop site building software or third party templates and simply don’t have the coding skills needed to reorganize and improve the content for the users. mobile users.

What works and looks good on a desktop computer will not necessarily work and look good on a mobile phone due to screen size and orientation. A good designer will see your new site on multiple devices and take into account your niche or type of business and use the site as if you were a client.

Do you want a client or client to be able to call you simply by pressing 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 makes for a much neater site and a better user experience. Simple settings for the mobile phone user can make a big difference.