Last May, we were witness to high-ranking websites as they crashed and burned when the folks in Mountain View decided it was time that the internet became mobile-friendly, or else. That update (Google mobile update) was coined Mobilegeddon, and what a fitting name it was. It spelled the beginning of the end for search traffic for businesses who’s websites were not optimized for multiple screens.

Google Mobile Update 1.0

Ok, let’s take a step back first and take a look at what went before. On April 21, 2015, Google began rolling out their mobile-friendly algorithm update that was designed to give a boost in the SERPs for sites that were already mobile-friendly, or responsive as we like to call it in the web development world. The aftermath claimed fewer casualties than was originally expected, but the message was clear to all webmasters; fix your websites and do it sooner, than later.

As was expected, this author noticed an increase in customers wanting to convert their websites to responsive layout. What I didn’t really expect was how quickly that frenzy would die down. It was as if the internet judged Mobilegeddon as weak, and went about their lives as if nothing happened. Then, this happened.

Google Mobile Update 2.0

Flash forward to March 16, 2016 when Klemen Kloboves, Google Software Engineer announced Big G’s intention to roll out a new update that should serve as a final warning to those websites that just refuse to play along. Do it, and now.

If your site isn’t yet mobile-friendly, or if you want to ensure that it is, head over to the Google mobile-friendly tool, and check out Google’s mobile guidelines.

Responsive Web Design: The Solution

Unlike Armageddon, Mobilegeddon has a solution. You can pick up the phone (or Skype) right now, contact a reputable web developer and get the process started in bring your website up to standards. Do not wait until Google begins to penalize desktop searches for sites that refuse to become mobile-friendly. In most cases it is not as expensive as you think. We normally charge between $200-$500 to adapt an existing website for multiple viewports, depending on the complexity of the conversion. Fill out this form and I’ll be happy to review your website and send you an no-obligation, free estimate. You’ll be happy you did.