North Coast Media, LLC

Why your website must be mobile-friendly

By Bethany Chambers

Google’s changing the way people find your business — here’s what it means for your landscape or lawn care company and how to test your site for mobile-friendliness.

Customers find businesses online in a variety of ways: Typing a domain directly into the URL bar after seeing it in an ad or on a truck or clicking through from social media links.

But when it comes to your online existence, nothing compares to Google Search. With 83 percent of the search traffic, it’s little wonder that searching and “Googling” are used synonymously.

The most significant Google Search change in years — dubbed “Mobile-geddon” — is coming tomorrow, and it could be a game-changer for your business.

As of April 21 Google will be shuffling the order in which websites appear in mobile search results, favoring those websites it deems “mobile-friendly,” or those that fit nicely on a small smartphone screen without requiring a bunch of pinching-and-pulling to view. Why? More than two-thirds of Americans now own smartphones and it’s estimated that more than half of online searches come from mobile devices.

Sites that pass the test will rank higher and have more impressions and more clicks from Google Search. Consider: The first 10 results (the first page, basically) get 90 percent of the clicks. That’s huge when you consider 3.5 billion searches are conducted on Google each day worldwide.

What is mobile-friendly?

Being mobile-friendly at its simplest means having:

user-friendly design with readable font sizes and easy-to-press buttons;
easy-to-navigate menus;
images and videos that are viewable on desktop and mobile; and
fast load time.

Is your site mobile-friendly?

Here are three tests to run now to find out how you’re doing on mobile.

1. Get on your smartphone, head to Google and search for your company. In the browser on the results page, does it say “Mobile-friendly” underneath the name of your website? This test is the first indicator of how your site is doing.

This isn’t, however, the final word. If your site uses doorway pages — one or two pages that are mobile friendly while the rest are not — this gaming of the system isn’t going to cut it in the new Google landscape. Your whole website needs to work on a smartphone, not just the homepage or a single landing page.

2. Run Google’s Mobile-Friendly test. If you pass, you get an “Awesome!” Nice feeling, right?

And if you don’t pass, you’ll get to see how your site looks on a smartphone, a list of resources on your site to start fixing and some tools to get started on becoming mobile-friendly.

3. Dig into your Google Webmaster Tools. If you haven’t already signed up for Google Analytics, you should do that first — it’s a good step anyway to learn more about your website’s visitors and what’s working on your site. Then in your webmaster tools, go into “Other Resources” and then “Page Speed Insights.” In this more advanced version of the mobile-friendly test, you’ll get a grade on your site’s speed and overall mobile user experience, plus a detailed report of what you need to do to improve.
Time to invest?

If you passed all three tests, congrats! If not, take this as the sign it’s time to invest in catering your site to mobile visitors. Whether you agree with Google’s decision or not, you have to play by their rules to have a high rank. The good news: Google algorithms take time to roll out and this first iteration affects only search on mobile — not desktop search, Google News or images. Those will typically roll out in the weeks and months that follow.

Making your site mobile friendly is a big job, but it’s ultimately a valuable customer service and marketing tool that can generate new business and meet your clients where they are — on their phones.

Michelle Mitchell has been named International Account Manager

CLEVELAND, Ohio — April 6, 2015 — North Coast Media (NCM) announced today that Michelle Mitchell has been named International Account Manager of GPS World magazine, its website, targeted enewsletters, a geographic information systems counterpart Geospatial Solutions, and other B2B communications vehicles supporting the international positioning, navigation, timing, and mapping industries.

“Michelle has worked with the GPS World team, among several others at NCM, for several years, crafting our marketing messages and promotional materials. She knows the GNSS industry and the players,” said Group Publisher Alan Cameron. “I am delighted that we and all our customers will now benefit from her full-time attention.”

Mitchell was previously marketing director for North Coast Media working closely with all its brands including GPS World and Geospatial Solutions on a variety of sales and marketing initiatives. She has nearly 20 years of experience in the B2B media environment, having worked previously for Advanstar Communications and Questex Media. Mitchell holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from The University of Toledo.

Mitchell’s office is based at the North Coast Media headquarters at 1360 East 9th Street, Suite 1070, Cleveland, OH 44114. She can be reached at 216-363-7922 or mmitchell@northcoastmedia.net.

Click here to view the GPS World Media kit.

Pit & Quarry promotes Dino Vitanza to associate publisher

CLEVELAND, OH — March 13, 2015 — North Coast Media is pleased to announce the promotion of Dino Vitanza to Associate Publisher of Pit & Quarry, the aggregates industry’s leading publication since 1916, and Portable Plants & Equipment (PP&E), a publication introduced in 2005 and written for mobile operators across multiple industries.

Vitanza has more than 10 years of experience in media sales. His first media sales role was as an Inside Sales Representative for Advanstar Communications. He was promoted to Regional Sales Representative for Pit & Quarry in 2006, and again in 2012 to Sales Manager.

According to Rob Fulop, Group Publisher of Pit & Quarry and PP&E, Vitanza has played an integral role throughout his career in the overall evolution and growth of the Pit & Quarry and PP&E brands.

“Dino has done an incredible job with each facet of our group,” Fulop said. “He’s been successful selling both print publications, Pit & Quarry and PP&E, as well as our digital products. Without the hard work and persistence that Dino has displayed from day one, there is no doubt that the Pit & Quarry group would not be where it is today. Dino has been extremely successful in growing relationships with our key customers and helping them to achieve their overall marketing objectives.”

Pit & Quarry has been serving the aggregates industry for nearly 100 years. The Pit & Quarry Media Network includes the monthly Pit & Quarry magazine, Pit & Quarry Weekly Report enewsletter, the monthly Pit & Quarry Equipment Spotlight enewsletter, the pitandquarry.com website, P&Q University and the Pit & Quarry Handbook.

The PP&E Media Network includes the quarterly PP&E magazine, monthly PP&E News and the portableplants.com website.

Vitanza is based at the North Coast Media headquarters at 1360 East 9th Street, Suite 1070, Cleveland, OH 44114. He can be reached at 216-706-3741 or dvitanza@northcoastmedia.net.

Dino Vitanza promoted to associate publisher of Pit & Quarry, PP&E

CLEVELAND, Ohio — March 13, 2015 — North Coast Media is pleased to announce the promotion of Dino Vitanza to associate publisher of Pit & Quarry (P&Q), the aggregates industry’s leading publication since 1916, and Portable Plants & Equipment (PP&E), a publication introduced in 2005 and written for mobile operators across multiple industries.

Vitanza has more than 10 years of experience in media sales. His first media sales role was as an inside sales representative for Advanstar Communications. He was promoted to regional sales representative for P&Q in 2006, and again in 2012 to sales manager.

Vitanza has played an integral role throughout his career in the overall evolution and growth of the Pit & Quarry and PP&E brands, said P&Q and PP&E Group Publisher Rob Fulop.

Pit & Quarry has been serving the aggregates industry for nearly 100 years. The Pit & Quarry media network includes the monthly Pit & Quarry magazine, Pit & Quarry Weekly Report enewsletter, the monthly Pit & Quarry Equipment Spotlight enewsletter, the pitandquarry.com website, Pit & Quarry University and the Pit & Quarry Handbook.

The PP&E media network includes the quarterly PP&E magazine, monthly PP&E News and the portableplants.com website.

Vitanza is based at the North Coast Media headquarters at 1360 E. 9th Street, Suite 1070, Cleveland, OH 44114. He can be reached at 216-706-3741 or dvitanza@northcoastmedia.net.

Golfdom announces Herb Graffis Businessperson of the Year Winner for 2015

CLEVELAND, Ohio — February 20, 2015 — North Coast Media and Golfdom magazine are proud to announce William Larson, Certified Golf Course Superintendent at Town & Country Club in St. Paul, Minnesota, as the recipient of its 2015 Herb Graffis Businessperson of the Year Award.

The Town & Country Club of St. Paul has saved untold thousands of dollars thanks to the efforts of course superintendent Bill Larson. An alumnus of Penn State University’s Turfgrass program, Larson has held his position at T&CC since 1989. One of Larson’s recent victories at the club was a bunker renovation that eventually grew to a small course renovation, all performed in-house and at a fraction of the normal cost. Another success was his help designing the course’s maintenance facility. Using his experience visiting maintenance facilities around the world, Larson was able to create one of the most environmentally friendly, cutting edge maintenance facilities in the country.

“Our award isn’t given for longevity in the industry, overcoming adversity or being a nice guy. Each year we look for an exceptionally savvy businessman,” says Pat Roberts, publisher of Golfdom. “We have found that in Bill Larson — and it just so happens he is a nice guy, too.”

“Bill exemplifies what we look for in the Graffis award recipient,” says Seth Jones, Golfdom’s editor-in-chief. “He is a shrewd businessman who has made an enormous impact at Town & Country Club, on and off the course.”

Larson will accept the Herb Graffis Award in person at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 25 at the Golf Industry Show in San Antonio. Celebrated golf architect Rees Jones, “The Open Doctor,” will present the award. Herb Graffis was a close friend of Rees’ father, legendary golf course architect Robert Trent Jones.

Larson’s first reaction to learning he had won the award and would appear on Golfdom’s cover was that it should be him with his entire crew on the cover, not just him by himself. Thankfully, his club president convinced him to take the credit where credit was due.

“Work hard and good things will happen. You have to have a passion,” Larson says in his cover story, entitled ‘Man About Town.’ “I’m lucky that I’m at a place like Town & Country Club. I don’t want the limelight. I’m content to do the best we can do and then go home.”

For more information, read the Golfdom cover story on Larson. To contact Seth Jones, email sjones@northcoastmedia.net or call 785-690-7047. To reach Bill Larson, email tcturf@comcast.net.

Rob Fulop promoted to group publisher of Pit & Quarry, PP&E

CLEVELAND – February 18, 2015 − North Coast Media is pleased to announce the promotion of Rob Fulop to group publisher of Pit & Quarry (PQ), the aggregates industry’s leading publication since 1916, and Portable Plants & Equipment (PP&E), a publication introduced in 2005 and written for mobile operators across multiple industries.

Fulop has 21 years of experience in media sales and management experience with 20 years of it aligned with the P&Q portfolio of products.

“Rob has been instrumental in leading the significant growth of the Pit & Quarry and PP&E portfolios in recent years,” said Kevin Stoltman, president and CEO of North Coast Media. “The magazine continues its long stretch as the market leader and also boasts other notable accomplishments including the success of PP&E magazine, which now offers a standalone website and monthly enewsletter, the introduction of the annual Pit & Quarry Hall of Fame event in 2013, which has quickly become one of the industry’s premier event, and the evolution of the annual Pit & Quarry Roundtable networking event.”

The PP&E media network includes the quarterly PP&E magazine, monthly PP&E News and the portableplants.com website.

Fulop is based at the North Coast Media headquarters at 1360 E. 9th Street, Suite 1070, Cleveland, OH 44114. He can be reached at 216-706-3741 or rfulop@northcoastmedia.net.