Posted by Chris Hohorst, Head of Mobile Sites Transformation via Google Developers Blog.
Mobile now accounts for over half of all web traffic
1, making performance on small screens more important than ever.
Despite this increase, a recent study by Google found that the average time it takes to load a mobile landing page is 22 seconds. When you consider that 53% of mobile site visitors will leave a site if it takes more than three seconds to load, it’s clear why conversion rates are consistently lower on mobile than desktop.
Website visitors now expect their mobile experience to be as flawless as desktop, and the majority of online businesses are failing to deliver.
With this in mind, we’re introducing the new Google Mobile Sites certification. Passing the Mobile Sites exam signals that you have a demonstrated ability to build and optimize high-quality sites, and allows you to promote yourself as a Google accredited mobile site developer.
Through codifying best practice in mobile site development, we hope to improve the general standard of mobile design and speed, and make it easier to find the best talent.
What the exam covers
To pass the exam, you’ll need to show proficiency across mobile site design, mobile UX best practice, mobile site speed optimization, and advanced web technologies. We’ve put together a
study guide that covers everything you’ll need to know.
What are the benefits?
We know that a lot of web developers are doing great work on mobile sites - this certification is a way of promoting them to a wider audience. Being certified means being recognized by Google as an expert in mobile site optimization, which will make you more accessible and attractive to potential clients looking for a good match for those services.
The certification will display on your Partners profile, helping you stand out to businesses looking for mobile site development, and can also be shared across social media.
How to sign up
Check out our
study guide to get started. Then, to take the exam, please click on the
Mobile Sites certification link and log in to your Google Partners account. If you’re not signed up yet, you can create a Partners user profile by registering
here.
The exam is open to all web developers globally in English and, once completed, the certification will remain valid for 12 months.
1 Google Analytics data, U.S., Q1 2016 from Find Out How You Stack Up to Industry Benchmarks for Mobile Page Speed
