So, does your business need a mobile website? The short answer is yes. Overwhelmingly, more and more consumers are turning to mobile as their preferred connection device. Let’s face it, we are a society “on the go” and we expect our internet to be on the go with us. Does that mean that desktop websites are going the way of the dinosaur? Not likely, at least not in the foreseeable future, but that does mean that within the next couple of years, mobile web usage will eclipse desktop web usage. So does your business need a mobile website? Long answer is yes, yes, a thousand times yes.
[bctt tweet=”If consumers cannot easily access your website on their mobile device, you’ll lose them to your competitors.” username=”advantlocal”]
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, desktop websites certainly still have their place, but how should they fit into your online marketing strategy? That depends on what type of business you are and where you are in regards to your business’ online existence. For non-local, established businesses, the IBMS, Toyotas, and Microsofts of the world, I believe the fully functioning desktop website with a responsive design will work perfectly. But local businesses with a current desktop site should now start to focus strongly on mobile. Local businesses with no online presence whatsoever should focus on building a dedicated mobile website, and support it with a desktop version of their site.
Types of businesses that can benefit from mobile.
Examples of the types of businesses that can benefit from a mobile website are hair salons, bars and taverns, restaurants, florists, doctors, dentists, lawyers, chiropractors, coffee shops, and the list goes on. These are natural partners to the mobile platform because people often need to access information regarding these types of businesses when they are out and about.
What Mobile Websites can Provide.
The type of information that mobile can provide for these potential customers is as varied as the types of businesses that can benefit from mobile. This can include, general information about the business, location and directions, store hours, contact information such as phone number with “tap-to-call”, specials, promotions and coupons, and most importantly…call to action.
Stats? We got stats!
They say you can’t argue with facts. If you’re not sure whether or not your business can really benefit from having a mobile website, consider this:
- 58% of all US consumers already own a smartphone. Source: comScore
- Over 1.2 billion people access the web from their mobile devices. Source: Trinity Digital Marketing
- Global mobile traffic now accounts for 15% of all Internet traffic. Source: Internet Trends 2013
- No one screen size has more than 20% of the market share. Source: Mobify Research & Development
- 61% of people have a better opinion of brands when they offer a good mobile experience. Source: Latitude
- 60% of mobile shoppers use their smartphones while in a store, and another 50% while on their way to a store. Source: Deloitte Digital
- 90% of people move between devices to accomplish a goal, whether that’s on smartphones, PCs, tablets or TV. Source: Google
- Almost half a billion tablets will ship in 2013 and 2014 alone. Source: Gartner
- Tablet users spend 50% more than PC users. Source: Adobe
- 25.85% of all emails are opened on mobile phones, and 10.16% are opened on tablets. Source: Knotice
- Mobile-based searches make up one quarter of all searches. Source: The Search Agency
- 95% of smartphone users have searched for local info. Source: The Mobile Play Book
- Every 100ms increase in load time decreases sales by 1%. Source: Strangeloop
- 70% of all mobile searched result in action within 1 hour. Source: social media today
- Mobile Coupons get 10 times the redemption rate of traditional coupons. Source: Borrell Associates
In short, mobile websites get down to the brass tacks of what your company absolutely needs to get a customer in the door. They provide that instant gratification that the consumer now expects and can turn that instant gratification into sales for your business.
