If you have a web site, you must read this article and do a simple test on your site. If you don’t have a web site,read this article anyway because there will be some good advice for you at the end.

Search traffic on mobile devices

More and more internet search traffic is being done on phones and tablets. Over 50% of all internet searches are now done on a mobile device. Did you know that mobile devices display web pages differently than laptops and desktop computers? It makes sense when you think about the difference in screen size. When a web site comes up on a mobile device, there is certain computer code which identifies the viewer as a mobile device and sends the code to display a web site. In computer speak, having a mobile friendly web site is known as “responsive design.”

Why this is important

First, the master of the internet universe, otherwise known as google, has decided it is important. Google (and other search engines) will display mobile friendly web sites on searches done on mobile devices. If your web site is not mobile friendly, your site is likely not coming up on 50% of searches! Even if you ignore the search engines, you can’t ignore the fact that mobile users expect a user friendly web site on their phone or tablet. Traditional web sites are too difficult to navigate on a smart phone. Mobile device use is here to stay and growing, so you are foolish to ignore it.

How to test your web site

The first way you should test your web site to see if it is mobile friendly is to visit the master of the internet universe. Click here and enter your web site. I typed in a few web sites of my referring lawyers and several of them did not pass google’s criteria for responsive design. Here’s my site:
Another easy test is to use your phone or tablet and type in your web site. Whatever comes up is what other people are seeing as well. Would you want to dive deeper into your site on a cell phone or would you go to the next site on your search results?

How to get a mobile friendly site?

You need to contact the person who designed your site and tell them you want your web site to be a responsive design and be mobile friendly. Word of warning. This does not require very much design work and should not cost much money. See below about the cost of a brand new site. In making your site mobile friendly, you should ask yourself if you need an update for your site. If it has been more than 5 years since you last re-designed your web site, you should consider a new web site. The internet does not look the same as it did 5 years ago and neither should your web site. The same web sites which I mentioned earlier which were not mobile friendly also looked “dated.”

What if you don’t have a web site (or you need a new one)

Ok, if you have a web site, and you have already checked if it is mobile friendly, read no further. This is for those lawyers who do not have a web site. A web site is much easier, and less expensive, than you think. A basic web site can cost under $1,000. Don’t believe me? Check out www.BlackhawkPrincesses.com. As some of you know, I do this daddy-daughter program with my four daughters. I had this web site designed for $750. Not sure what you should put on your web site or don’t have the time to write content? You can hire people to write content for your web site. Guess what? That’s what most lawyers, including yours truly, do for their web site.

Now, it does cost more money to have a web site which drives clients to your door, but everyone should have a basic web site. Web sites today are the color brochures of the past. Potential clients will look for a web site before contacting you. Potential clients will read reviews on-line, something I will write about in an upcoming article. Simply put, you must have a web site. I am more than happy to discuss this further with anyone who wants to take this step, so feel free to contact me.