Small and regional businesses could fall by the wayside if they fail to keep up with online trends.

Today is Google's 'Mobilegeddon', the deadline for businesses to make their websites mobile friendly or risk being cut from Google searches.

One retail expert says the growth in smart phones is so large, that if businesses aren't mobile they aren't visible.

First Retail Group managing director Chris Wilkinson says businesses which are on the ball will have the advantage over their less mobile-friendly competitors, if only for a short time.

"It will certainly accelerate their position in terms of search for a short period, but clearly most of those other businesses will be working hard to catch up."

Wilkinson says research shows many of New Zealand's smaller or more regional businesses have yet to make the move.

"Those businesses will be pushed down and it's more likely that some of the larger retailers will take their place in terms of search."

Chris Wilkinson says large organisations such as malls, which represent multiple retailers, also need to have mobile-optimised websites or risk disadvantaging their tenants.