Synthetic Monitoring
Help Your Site Thrive Post “Mobilegeddon”
Photo credit: http://trafficandleadgenerator.com/ready-to-become-mobile-friendly-for-mobilegeddon-dont-panic-read-this/chrismcelroy/04/08/2015/
Let’s Embrace “Mobilegeddon” for What it Really is: an Opportunity for Growth
Google’s massive mobile-friendly algorithm change went live Tuesday, and everyone is frantically wondering how their rankings may be affected moving forward.
There is a lot of confusion surrounding specifics of the new algorithm, but to be clear, this update:
- Only affects rankings on mobile devices (rankings from a desktop search will not be affected…at least not yet)
- Applies to individual pages, not entire websites
- Does not affect tablets (yet)
In a recent study completed by Internet marketing firm Portent, 40% of the 25,000 sites they tested weren’t optimized for mobile use. This staggering number has businesses (large and small) justifiably apprehensive about this new algorithm change. Unaffectionately dubbed “Mobilegeddon,” this update could cost some companies (particularly those that benefit strongly from mobile traffic) their high Google ranking–and quite a bit of revenue as a result.
But rather than seeing this as a penalty, businesses and web developers have the option to embrace “Mobilegeddon” for what it is: an opportunity. By being more or less forced to make the leap to mobile-friendly designs, businesses may wind up attracting more customers and a broader audience than they had before.
However, a mobile-friendly site isn’t always a user-friendly site. To be both portable and functional, businesses must do one thing their competitors likely aren’t doing: TEST.
Testing: Preventive Maintenance for Mobile-Friendly Sites
While other companies are busy panicking over this new algorithm, you can seize the opportunity to catch up with technology. Of course it will take some amount of effort and investment to create a responsive, mobile-friendly site (if you don’t already have one), but this is obviously the first order of business, and truly necessary for a business to remain competitive moving forward.
But of course new advancements must always be tested for speed and functionality to ensure that your users experience optimal performance. Once your responsive, mobile-friendly site is ready to be launched (or already up and running), it’s time to start testing. These preventive measures will help avoid disaster and keep your company ahead of the learning curve.
There are a variety of testing tools available online that will allow you to measure everything from load speed to how your site behaves during traffic spikes. This software can also allow you to test a variety of scenarios that your visitors might encounter, such as making a purchase or filling out a contact form from a range of mobile devices and smartphone types.
Given that users will interact with your site from a variety of different locations and connections, the right software will be able to run tests on each connection, including 3G, 4G, and other custom speeds. Your users will have different devices as well, so your site should function on Apple and Android devices, as well as gaming consoles and Smart TV apps. Providers like Apica are capable of meeting all of these testing requirements, and more.
“An Apple a Day” Mobile Monitoring
We all know the phrase, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” But not many businesses know the importance of site monitoring on a daily basis. Not only will it help you learn the behavior of your mobile site under a variety of conditions, but it will also allow you to track and respond to real-time alerts delivered to your cell phone or email. This up-to-date information will help protect you from errors, downtime, and any negative side effects of Google’s new algorithm.
And, with the option to test both mobile-friendly sites and apps, you’ll have the option to expand your service offerings to an app in the future.
With testing and monitoring services like Apica, business owners and web developers can be one step ahead when adapting to Google’s ever-changing search algorithms.
“Mobilegeddon” is no longer a cause for concern, but an opportunity to advance your business and your website to keep up with modern developments. Invest in testing and monitoring services to avoid pitfalls common to the big switch to mobile-friendly.
And in case you haven’t already, Google offers a super useful tool to test your mobile site’s readiness – click here!
Monitor your mobile site’s performance, for free*
*Monitor up to 5 websites or applications. Full access to Apica WebPerformance (WPM) service. Support from Apica professionals. Integrations included. No credit card required.