When Google announced that it was penalising websites for not offering mobile-friendly websites, web designers took notice. They advised their customers that having a mobile-friendly site was essential in order to achieve good rankings.
In 2017 that conversation is no longer relevant. Google has accepted that web designers have got the message and has withdrawn its penalty system. The internet is now officially mobile friendly as it needs to be – according to Ofcom, two out of three people spend almost two hours each day accessing the internet via smartphones, which is higher than the figures for laptop use.
Web designers now have a new job on their hands: convincing clients to improve their Google Page rankings by other means than mobile-friendly design features.
SSL Certification
If you use Chrome to access the internet, you may have noticed that it alerts you when you visit a site which does not have SSL certification. Google doesn’t approve of sites which lack the SSL certificate, and for good reason – they are not guaranteed to be secure.
An SSL certificate shows visitors that your site is safe, secure and encrypted. The web address changes from HTTP to HTTPS and adds a padlock for extra visual confirmation. No sensible person would dream of purchasing anything from a site which failed to display this level of security, so any business owner that thinks it’s not worth doing is barking up the wrong tree.
SSL certification shows that a site is genuine, that it has not been tampered with and that information passed between the user and the site is safely encrypted and unavailable to third parties. Failure to apply for the certificate could cost you dearly in the long run, particularly since Google will rank you lower as a result.
Responsive Web Design
Some website builders still offer a separate site for mobile users, which is a waste of time and money. By using responsive design techniques your site will automatically adapt to the screen size of the device being used. Make sure that you employ a skilled WordPress or Drupal website designer such as https://www.website-express.co.uk/service/drupal-development-agency, who will create an effective, responsive site for your customers.
With less time spent creating alternative website coding, your designers can spend more time creating a beautiful and functional website which works across a range of platforms.
