Spring Insight moved to AMP, and we think you should too.
Do you have a “good” website? Not just attractive — but optimized to perform well in today’s digital world. It might seem like the web world is constantly changing, at least to us. The noise can be overwhelming and, to be honest, you really can ignore a lot of the “improvements.” (Aren’t you glad you skipped the Pinterest design phase?) But, there are some “breakpoints” that really matter. In 2013 it was responsive design. Today, it is AMP. Google has worked alongside other tech companies to generate a free open-source set of standards to improve mobile web speed: the Accelerated Mobile Pages Project (AMP). While major news organizations were the first group to embrace AMP sites, more and more organizations in other industries are starting to make the shift to AMP.
At Spring Insight, we’re no exception. We recently moved our website from responsive over to the AMP platform, after realizing just how slow our mobile site was. (Picture Fred Flinstone chiseling on tablets.) With Google placing increased importance on speed, transitioning to AMP was an easy decision to make. Want to see a dramatic improvement? Check this out.
Should I worry about AMP?
Probably. The differences between a website that renders in two seconds instead of six might not sound like a big deal to you, but Google disagrees. When something is a big deal to Google, that same something is a big deal to anyone that wants Google to send their website traffic.
AMP is far from the only component that Google takes into consideration when ranking your website. It’s just one part of an ever-evolving collection of factors. You aren’t alone in wondering if it’s worth making a large change in response to what Google likes today. But, embracing AMP checks a lot of boxes that Google values. As I already noted, Google cares about speed, and when it sees that your site uses AMP, it trusts that your site is fast enough. Google might care about new things tomorrow, but they won’t stop caring about speed.
Plus, you know who else cares about speed? Your site users care. A lot. Every fraction of a second that users wait for your site to download impacts your site’s bounce rate in a negative way. That’s bad for business, and our Google Overlords will definitely hold that bounce rate against you. So your SEO ranking will go down, not as many people will even see your site, and the ones that do are going to get impatient and look for another option. Not a great situation.
Ok, I’m worried. Now what?
Take the test and see how your website scores. If your site isn’t as fast as you thought it was — and it’s probably not — you’ll know it’s time to make some changes. If you have a new website, switching to AMP is almost certainly the only change you’ll need. Unfortunately, transitioning to AMP doesn’t lend itself to a DIY approach. While there are plugins and tutorials available, AMP can impact your website’s appearance and functionality in some surprising ways. It’s worth working with a professional to make sure that the switch to AMP doesn’t break your site. If your site is older, switching to AMP is a good starting point, but some bigger changes might be necessary.
At this point, it’s safe to say that AMP is where websites are going in the future. If you have a brand-new site and are ready to transition to AMP, reach out. Spring Insight offers AMP transition assistance as a stand-alone service, and we’re happy to discuss the process with you.
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