Date: 15th March, 2013
With Google predicting that during 2013, more people will be accessing the internet via a smartphone than on a PC, it’s impossible to ignore that the future of web is mobile. But, just in case you’re having any doubts, we’ve compiled our top 3 reasons for why it’s time to make sure your website is optimised for mobile use.
1. Your visitors are mobile
Your visitors are accessing your website while out and about, and mobile searches have grown 400% since 2010. People undertake their searches in real-time on a need-to-know basis, and an astounding 95% of people are looking for local information and companies via their mobile phones. 61% of users then go on to call a business following a mobile search, and 59% visit the location. Your website needs to be optimised for mobile use to ensure that people can find the information that they require (such as contact details) quickly, as an even more surprising statistic says that 9/10 of these people will act on their search by phoning up or visiting within 24 hours.
2. The mobile experience
Users expect the mobile experience to be as good as the desktop experience. You may be surprised to hear that 52% of web users say that a bad mobile experience will mean they are less likely to engage with a company again. It is vital that your website looks and feels as good as it does on a desktop, as otherwise you could lose valuable custom. 61% of web users said that they were immediately deterred by a bad mobile site, and 79% go and look elsewhere if they can’t find what they’re looking for. So while you may be doing a favour for your competitors by carrying on without a mobile website, you could be setting yourself up for a loss.
3. Apps are not the antidote
Apps are important and fun, but when it comes to shopping, they aren’t the key to keeping your customers happy. 81% of mobile users say that they would rather shop on a mobile site than on an app, and 79% prefer mobile sites for product reviews. Apps are still brilliant for creating a game or providing a quirky service, but they do reach a restricted audience due to only being accessible from specific devices. So, if you want to reach the largest audience possible and provide great customer satisfaction, an optimised mobile version of your website is the way to go.
The bottom line is that it is imperative now to have a website optimised for mobile usage. You could be the best cafe in town, but whose ever going to find you if they can’t access your website to find your contact details following a quick search?
There are two solutions available to you: either the development of a mobile version of your website, or to have your website responsively designed (like ours!). If you would like to find out more about optimising your website for mobile use, get in touch with us today.
*Statistics from Google - 'Reasons Mobile Matters' and MiNetwork - 'What Google's Adwords update means for us all'.
