Not that long ago, the Internet was considered an unbelievable opportunity for businesses and others to reach vast new audiences. Thanks to today’s smartphones, those opportunities are even greater.
People use mobile devices to surf the Internet wherever they are, from the park to their living room couch. This has forced businesses to begin considering whether they need to develop a mobile version of their website in order to better serve mobile users. Some may consider it a passing fad, while others believe it is the wave of the future.
Why Should You Have a Mobile Website For Your Business?
Here’s ten good reason why your business should needs a mobile website.
1. Speed – Mobile websites are optimized for faster download speeds because most smartphone users do not want to wait more than four seconds for web page to load. Designers accomplish this by limiting the amount of text on the pages and reducing the size of images. This also forces the business to focus on what message it is truly trying to convey.
2. Google wants it – The leading search engine has been making a push toward more mobile websites because it believes this is what smartphone users want. Google wants to continue to look good to those using its search capabilities. Websites designed for a personal computer do not look good on a smartphone. Google is hoping to avoid frustrated web surfers by providing the Internet experience they want. If it’s good enough for Google, it should be good enough for your business.
3. Your competitors are doing it – Given the fact Google wants more mobile websites, more businesses will start moving that way. You don’t want your company to fall behind the competition.
4. Your customers want it – In a recent survey, half of mobile device users surveyed said even if they like a business, they would visit its website less often if it didn’t work well with their smartphone.
5. Customer retention – About 66 percent of those smartphone users surveyed said a good mobile site would make them more likely to make a purchase, while 74 percent said they would be more likely to return to that site.
6. Targeted search – Having a mobile website allows the business another chance to provide original content that can help rank its websites, traditional and mobile, higher on Google’s lists. Even though the keywords may be the same on both sites, mobile users may choose slightly different phrasing. By being active on social media sites, and providing links to the mobile site, there could be even more activity coming your way. If those links get reposted, it can help increase the site’s ranking.
7. Constant opportunity – Computer users are locked into surfing the Internet from their home. Smartphone users, on the other hand, have the opportunity to come knocking any time, even if they are out and about.
8. Integration – A mobile website may be designed with different factors in mind, but it should serve as a compliment to the desktop version. The two can play off each other to ensure as many customers as possible have a good experience from your business. The main website should be able to detect when it has been contacted by a smartphone and automatically send that user to the mobile website. On the other hand, mobile users should be given the opportunity to return to the desktop site if that’s what they prefer. They should provide the same basic information about the business, though it might be delivered in different ways. Desktop websites have more room and people do not mind scrolling. Mobile sites needs to be more focused, but both represent the business.
9. Incredible growth – Smartphones allow users to shop, read, search for information and discover local pizza shops when they are in a new area. Industry experts estimate the mobile web is growing eight times faster than did the original wave of online desktop sites. Google estimates smartphone users are rarely more than three feet from their device.
10. It is just starting – As fast as the mobile web is growing, it’s still really just getting started. In a recent survey, 72 percent of mobile users surveyed responded that a mobile-friendly website is important to them, but 96 percent of them also said they have visited sites that are not mobile-friendly. Now is the time to reach out to that growing audience and grab them before the competition figures out how to successfully design a mobile site.
Smartphone use is skyrocketing and this is providing businesses with a plethora of opportunities to gain new customers. Mobile device users want websites that work well on their smartphones, and businesses that can provide that will have a definite advantage over their competitors.
See related post: Are Mobile Devices Really More Popular Than Desktop Devices?
[Main Photo by Chris Peeters from Pexels; Cell phone: Photo by Céline Druguet on Unsplash]
Simon is a mobile website designer who runs Touch Logic, a mobile marketing company.
Comments are closed.