Mobile websites = new opportunity but not THE future?

[Arpeggio]

Just got the email from google saying my website has 100% mobile compatibility issues.

"These pages will not be seen as mobile-friendly by Google Search, and will therefore be displayed and ranked appropriately for smartphone users."

It makes sense, why would they display results that wont work on mobile for mobile users! http://searchengineland.com/google-s...istakes-162826

Some parts of my website would not work on mobile as they have musical staff http://www.guitar-book.com/musical-p...directions.htm and you'd have to squint your eyes hard to read a fretboard diagram onto a smartphone screen http://www.guitar-book.com/guitar-fretboard-notes.htm As long as my website doesn't get affected in searches for users that have normal sized screens?! I don't like to link to my site too much but I'm a little bit concerned about this mobile thing.

This recent research was very interesting: http://www.smartinsights.com/marketp...stics-sources/

Among internet users PC/Laptop are still top, and Tablet, Games Console and Smart TV are on there too. I can see how smaller screens are the future in terms of what they are good for, but they can't be the only future. Smart watch and Smart wristband are on there too; pulse rate, pedometer and music yes but who on earth is going to browse the internet or watch youtube on one of those?! unless it projected a holographic screen image, in which case screen size wouldn't be an issue anyway. Does Google glass need "small mobile compatible screens" (anyone know? please do tell!) I can't see how such type of device would?

Online videos are being watched more and more, and Google owns Youtube are they going to penalize themselves?. Do people really want to watch videos on small mobile screens? what if your website has video? (mine does - on the "Guitar for Kids" page).

I think mobile is an opportunity I might consider in the future even though I think the content of my site doesn't lend to it, but I don't think mobile will be the only thing in the future as there are other directions of growth that involve normal screen sizes, such as Smart TV owned by 34% of internet users.

As for phones themselves; the larger the screen the more interested the reader according to this.

What do you think of all this?

[Rob-Xar]

Just got the email from google saying my website has 100% mobile compatibility issues.

"These pages will not be seen as mobile-friendly by Google Search, and will therefore be displayed and ranked appropriately for smartphone users."

This isn't much to work on, however I have seen people report this before and having a look at your website it appears to be made in an earlier version of Xara which does not support mobile variants, so you are going to get warnings about users on mobiles devices. Have a look at V10, which does support mobile variations of your site: http://www.xara.com/web-designer/

This message seems to disappear when a mobile variant is introduced.

When it comes to advise on SEO, there is one website you should listen to and that is Google themselves: https://www.google.com/webmasters/

[pauland]

I think mobile is an opportunity I might consider in the future even though I think the content of my site doesn't lend to it

You are way, way wrong.

I don't think mobile will be the only thing in the future as there are other directions of growth that involve normal screen sizes

There is no 'normal' screensize.

What do you think of all this?

Here's what I think of this.

I think that you're making a mistake when you imagine that mobile isn't important to what you do and that big screens are 'normal'.

Phones and tablet sales are vast and tablets are outstripping computer sales. I have a smart TV and NEVER use it for internet browsing. It's useless. Of course that may change.

Mobile phones. The bigger ones are used for browsing websites as though they were desktops, but when on the move the usage is different.

Looking momentarily on your site, of course the fine images and detailed parts won't work, but what will work is giving information about what you do and talking about learning and how your larger website has lessons and that you sell ebooks - you can use it as a teaser for the main website and perhaps even sell ebooks.

Your mobile site should be very focused and be a distillation of the full-featured site.

As for smart watches not being suitable for web browsing? True, but that's hardly an excuse for not having a website adapted to other mobile devices.

I would say in our family a LOT of web searches are done from a mobile by someone sat in a chair.

Good luck.

[mwenz]

You are way, way wrong.



There is no 'normal' screensize.



Here's what I think of this.

I think that you're making a mistake when you imagine that mobile isn't important to what you do and that big screens are 'normal'.

Phones and tablet sales are vast and tablets are outstripping computer sales. I have a smart TV and NEVER use it for internet browsing. It's useless. Of course that may change.

Mobile phones. The bigger ones are used for browsing websites as though they were desktops, but when on the move the usage is different.

Looking momentarily on your site, of course the fine images and detailed parts won't work, but what will work is giving information about what you do and talking about learning and how your larger website has lessons and that you sell ebooks - you can use it as a teaser for the main website and perhaps even sell ebooks.

Your mobile site should be very focused and be a distillation of the full-featured site.

As for smart watches not being suitable for web browsing? True, but that's hardly an excuse for not having a website adapted to other mobile devices.

I would say in our family a LOT of web searches are done from a mobile by someone sat in a chair.

Good luck.

As I sit here using a tablet...but a lot of my browsing is actually done using my phone. Most of the time I respond on a forum is using my phone even. And I am officially entering old man status...

When I am working I will pop into the forums using my laptop browser but otherwise it's the phone or tablet.

[Arpeggio]

Looking momentarily on your site, of course the fine images and detailed parts won't work, but what will work is giving information about what you do and talking about learning and how your larger website has lessons and that you sell ebooks - you can use it as a teaser for the main website and perhaps even sell ebooks.

Your mobile site should be very focused and be a distillation of the full-featured site.

Thanks, I was wondering about this. I think the full version might be able to be made to work on a tablet but not a phone. I wasn't sure whether I needed (or that google preferred) my website dynamic to mobile, or a different site for mobile.

[Arpeggio]

This isn't much to work on, however I have seen people report this before and having a look at your website it appears to be made in an earlier version of Xara which does not support mobile variants, so you are going to get warnings about users on mobiles devices. Have a look at V10, which does support mobile variations of your site: http://www.xara.com/web-designer/

This message seems to disappear when a mobile variant is introduced.

When it comes to advise on SEO, there is one website you should listen to and that is Google themselves: https://www.google.com/webmasters/

Thanks, V10 is probably what I'll use.