If you're reading this, welcome to our new website

Have you seen our new website? I know you're busy, since the summer is busy for everyone. But I wouldn't bother you about it if I didn't think it was really cool.

We recently updated our website, at www.thedriller.com, to be mobile responsive. It's designed to look good, regardless of whether you access it on a desktop computer, a tablet, for a mobile phone. That may not sound like a big deal, but it is.

So, what is mobile responsive?

"Mobile responsive" is a fancy term for a website that adjusts itself to the device it's viewed on. It means that the website will have a clean, uncluttered look on your PC at the office. It also means that, the site is more user friendly when you look at it on your Android or iPhone during breaks in the action on the jobsite. Got a tablet computer? It will also look great there.

Readers look to us for the latest in industry news, product releases, video and other drilling-related information. They also find our Classifieds section really useful. Our new mobile responsive website features easier access to all of these things, regardless of where you want to access the site from.

So, why update to mobile responsive now?

Like a lot of things on the Internet, this move is at least partly driven by search engines. Search engines like Google give more weight to websites that are mobile responsive. Google and other search engine companies know that about two-thirds of adults in the United States have a smartphone. They know that many of us also have tablet devices like an iPad. Increasingly, a lot of search traffic comes from those devices. Just like the search companies, publishers have to change and adapt to meet future demand.

But, we also made this change to help out our readers. We recently did a survey of readers that found more than half of you have used a mobile phone to access industry information within the last 6 months. That's a lot of people. Of the thousands that are reading us, a lot of them are using mobile devices, like Android phones or iPhones. Some are using tablets like the iPad. This change helps ensure that all of those people have a good experience on our website, and can find the important industry and product news that they're looking for. No more pinching or zooming to read tiny text or click on website links.

We think it's a positive change. We hope you think so too.

If you have thoughts, or feedback on the new site, we'd love to hear about it. I especially want to hear about it if you visit our site and cannot find something you're looking for. We've moved some things around, to accommodate new format. But we're happy to answer any questions, and help you find your way around. Send me an email.

Stay safe out there, drillers.