Why You Need a Mobile Website To Be Competitive
Today’s business world is as competitive as ever. While modern technology has allowed many firms to become more efficient, it has also changed the way consumers decide which businesses to frequent. More and more customers are using mobile devices to shop and consume online content – in fact, Google recently stated that there will be one mobile device for every person on earth by 2015. That’s over 6 billion mobile devices! The question is, what impact will this have on your business?
The advantages of having a mobile website
While most businesses have a website, it is becoming increasingly important to have a mobile website that can be easily viewed by potential customers. Many traditional websites do not work well on mobile devices. A site that is difficult to use on a mobile device will not only frustrate customers, it may send them to the competition. In a recent study by Compuware, 57 percent of respondents said they would not recommend a business that had a bad mobile site, while 40 percent said they would turn to another business after having a bad mobile website experience.
So what is a mobile website exactly?
A mobile website is a separate version of your primary website that has been optimized to work on all mobile devices. Since the screen size is much smaller on a mobile device, the navigation will typically be “thumb-friendly”, meaning it is will display larger buttons that can be easily clicked on. Also, there will usually be less text and larger font sizes to make reading on smaller screens easier. Mobile sites usually also feature click-to-call buttons, as well as maps and directions to a business’s location. When a visitor lands on your main website from a mobile device, they should automatically be redirected to your mobile website.
What do I need to do to make my website mobile friendly?
The first thing to do is check what your current site looks like when viewed on a mobile device. Google has recently launched its own mobile friendly initiative, howtogomo.com and have created a useful mobile tester. This tester allows you to check if your current website is currently mobile friendly. If you find the text difficult to read, or have to scroll to view the whole page, then you will probably need to consider getting a mobile friendly website developed.
They also go into detail about the best practices you should use when trying to create a mobile friendly website. These include:
- simplifying the navigation
- ensuring that the page loading time is fast
- using redirects that automatically send the visitor to the mobile version of the page
- ensuring that the text is easy to read so that the user does not have to scroll or zoom in
Whether you decide to build a mobile website yourself or hire a professional mobile website designer, here are some other things that you most definitely will need to consider:
1. Ease of access
Customers are able to carry their smartphones or other devices with them everywhere, which gives them the ability to make purchase decisions immediately (and from any location). This means a business needs a mobile presence that can cater to those needs.
2. A growing audience
Experts estimate the mobile web is growing eight times faster than did the first wave of online Internet use. This rapidly growing segment of consumers use their smartphones to read content, search for places to eat or shop and find coupons to help them do these things more inexpensively. These customers may often not know exactly what they are looking for, so having a mobile site that places higher on mobile search engines is important.
3. Branding
Many businesses will spend lots of money to develop a brand that attracts customers, and having a good mobile site it is becoming increasingly important for that. A poorly-developed mobile website can drive customers to competitors and undo all the other hard work the company has done to build their brand.
4. Opportunity
According to two recent surveys of smartphone users, 66 percent of respondents said a good mobile website would make them more likely to purchase a good or service, while 74 percent said they would be more likely to return again. On the other hand, 61 percent said if they do not find what they are looking for quickly, they will move on to another site.
As smartphone users increase at a rapid rate, it is becoming ever more important for businesses to have a branded mobile presence in order to cater to their customers. Those consumers are able to access the Internet from any location at any time – therefore, successful businesses need to be able to meet their needs at a moment’s notice. As Bob Dylan once sang, “The times they are a changing.” The mobile web is not going away. The question is will your business be ready for the change?
Author: Simon Phillips
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