Google recently adjusted its search results and now places more value on websites optimized for mobile viewing. Mobile traffic is only increasing these days with all the smartphones, so you don't want to lose these visitors.
Google mobile-friendly test
If you have a website and want to know if it is mobile-friendly for Google, you can test this yourself via the Google's mobile-friendly test.
A website can be mobile-friendly on the web in several ways:
- A mobile website
- A responsive website
- An adaptive website
What is the difference between the above versions, and is one better than the other?
A mobile website
Mobile websites are specifically developed for mobile and/or tablet viewing. Your device (e.g., your phone) is recognized via a script and redirected to a separate URL, usually an http://m.domainname.nl URL. In this case, the “m” stands for a subdomain hosting a different website than the main domain. This other website is the one specifically optimized for mobile viewing; it is often a stripped-down version of the actual website with fewer functionalities and less content. If you wish, you can display completely different content in this version than on the main site and show your mobile visitors only what you consider important.
A major disadvantage of this setup is that you will have to manage the text on your website in two places for the same page. So, if you want to edit text on the homepage, you will have to do so in two places.
Because you have two different links for one page, e.g., website.nl/home and m.website.nl/home, Google will index both pages and view them as duplicate content. Whether this involves exactly the same content or a matching percentage of the content is still a matter of debate. It is better to provide each page with different content.
A responsive website
A responsive website is, of course, also suitable for mobile and tablet viewing. In this case, the website is built using technology that scales with the screen resolution. Whether you view the website on a desktop or a mobile device, it is always easy to see. Because the website scales accordingly, you do not have to deal with the inconveniences mentioned above. For instance, you only need to manage the text in one place and avoid duplicate content.
A disadvantage may be that the website loads more slowly on a slow phone with slow internet.
An adaptive website
This super version of the responsive website goes a step further and can eliminate the disadvantage of the standard responsive version. In addition to scaling, this version can recognize which device you are using to visit the website and the speed of your internet connection. If you have a slow device with a slow connection, the website adjusts the content accordingly. This allows you to choose to display your website in a lower resolution.
Would you like more advice on how to make your website desktop-, mobile-, and tablet-friendly? Feel free to contact us!