LOSING RANK
Websites that are deemed not mobile friendly; failing any or all of Google’s tests for size of text, spacing of links, width of content, or the setting of a mobile viewport, will see their Google ranking demoted on mobile search result pages – which now account for 50% of all searches.
As with previous updates by Google, the web development industry will go into a bit of a spin highlighting websites at risk of demotion – whilst marketing directors will see their twitter timelines fill up with scare stories and offers of support in equal measure (swiftly followed by a tasty quote for services rendered).
FINANCIAL SERVICES NOT READY
At AML we have spent the last few weeks reviewing our clients websites in preparation for this change. With the help of Google’s handy tool for measuring mobile friendliness our research into the Financial Services industry has found that the overwhelming majority of major UK Financial Services companies fail some of the most basic tests.
18 out the 27 major financial firms we tested, all of which appear on the FTSE 100 or 250 indices, failed the test, and many on multiple counts. What was perhaps more surprising was that several of the major players, including Aberdeen Asset Management, Standard Chartered and Legal & General were responsible for several sites deemed unacceptable by Google’s standards. Asset Management websites appear to be particularly poor in this area and many will find themselves stranded in the void of mobile un-friendly websites unless they act to address the issue.
DON’T PANIC
This update may not bring the anticipated Mobilegeddon that many are predictingand the extent of the effects that the algorithm change will have will not be immediately apparent.
AML’s Digital Director Jonathan Hirshler suggests a little restraint: “Businesses that respond quickly are likely to benefit from some short term wins but companies would be wise to adopt a long-term approach towards better accessibility and responsive web design. Reacting to these changes from Google with quick fixes and unplanned design updates is likely to cause more harm than good.”
| FTSE Company | Google Mobile Friendly Test |
Reason for Failure |
| 3I GROUP PLC www.3i.com/ |
Passed | Passed |
| ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT PLC www.aberdeen-asset.com/ |
Failed | Mobile viewport not set |
| ADMIRAL GROUP www.admiralgroup.co.uk/ |
Failed | Text too small to read |
| ALLIED MINDS PLC www.alliedminds.com/ |
Failed | Content wider than screen |
| ASHMORE GROUP PLC www.ashmoregroup.com/ |
Failed | Content wider than screen |
| AVIVA www.aviva.co.uk/ |
Passed | Passed |
| AVIVA (advisers) www.aviva-for-advisers.co.uk/adviser/site/public/ |
Failed | Content wider than screen. Links too close together |
| AVIVA (investors) www.avivainvestors.co.uk/ |
Failed | Text too small to read. Mobile viewport not set. Links too close together |
| BARCLAYS www.barclays.com/ |
Passed | Passed |
| BARCLAYS (wealth) wealth.barclays.com/ |
Failed | Content wider than screen. Links too close together |
| BREWIN DOLPHIN www.brewin.co.uk/ |
Passed | Passed |
| HARGREAVES LANSDOWN PLC www.hl.co.uk/ |
Failed | Text too small to read |
| HENDERSON www.henderson.com/henderson |
Passed | Passed |
| HSBC www.hsbc.co.uk |
Passed | Passed |
| HSBC (am) www.assetmanagement.hsbc.com/uk |
Failed | Text too small to read. Mobile viewport not set. Links too close together. Content wider than screen. |
| INVESTEC www.investec.co.uk/ |
Failed | Content wider than screen. Links too close together. Text too small to read |
| INVESTEC (am) www.investecassetmanagement.com/ |
Failed | Content wider than screen |
| INVESCO (POWERSHARES) www.invescopowershares.co.uk/ |
Failed | Text too small to read. Mobile viewport not set. Content wider than screen. |
| JUPITER www.jupiteram.com/ |
Failed | Text too small to read. Mobile viewport not set. Content wider than screen. |
| LEGAL & GENERAL www.legalandgeneral.com/ |
Failed | Text too small to read. Mobile viewport not set. Links too close together. Content wider than screen. |
| LEGAL & GENERAL (investment management) www.lgim.com/global/ |
Failed | Text too small to read. Mobile viewport not set. Links too close together |
| LLOYDS GROUP www.lloydsbank.com/ |
Passed | Passed |
| LLOYDS GROUP (TSB) www.tsb.co.uk/ |
Passed | Passed |
| LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE www.lseg.com/ |
Failed | Text too small to read. Mobile viewport not set. Links too close together |
| M & G www.mandg.co.uk/ |
Failed | Text too small to read. Mobile viewport not set. |
| MAN GROUP www.man.com/GB/home |
Passed | Passed |
| OLD MUTUAL PLC www.oldmutual.com/ |
Failed | Text too small to read |
| NEPTUNE (general site) www.neptunefunds.com/ |
Failed | Text too small to read. Mobile viewport not set. |
| PRUDENTIAL (pru) www.pru.co.uk/ |
Failed | Text too small to read. Mobile viewport not set. Content wider than screen. |
| PRUDENTIAL (adviser) www.pruadviser.co.uk |
Failed | Text too small to read. Mobile viewport not set. Content wider than screen. |
| RATHBONES www.rathbones.com/ |
Passed | Passed |
| ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND www.rbs.com/ |
Passed | Passed |
| ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND (am) am.rbs.com/ |
Failed | Text too small to read. Mobile viewport not set. Links too close together |
| RUSSELL INVESMENTS www.russell.com/ |
Passed | Passed |
| SCHRODERS www.schroders.co.uk/en/uk/ |
Passed | Passed |
| ST. JAMES’S PLACE PLC www1.sjp.co.uk/ |
Failed | Text too small to read |
| STANDARD CHARTERED www.sc.com/en/ |
Failed | Text too small to read. Mobile viewport not set. Links too close together. Content wider than screen. |
| STANDARD LIFE PLC www.standardlife.com/ |
Failed | Text too small to read. |
| WINTON www.wintoncapital.com/ |
Passed | Passed |
A selection of FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 Banks, Financial Services firms and Life Insurance Companies
