Fact#1: 80% of internet users own a smartphone today.
Fact#2: 1.2 billion people worldwide are accessing the web from mobile devices.
With the massive growth of the mobile market in recent years, having an archaic website that only runs on desktops means that your business is losing a large volume of valuable traffic.
Gone are the days when people can only access the internet through desktops and laptops; they now want their information as fast and as smoothly as possible- a trend that no business can afford to ignore.
By creating a business website that runs efficiently on mobile devices, you make it easier for your target market to look for your products and services, thus creating more opportunities for your business.
Still doubting the influence the mobile website would have on your business? Check out this infographic as we reveal the top reasons why you need a mobile website today.
- Most Customers Are Now on Mobile
As of 2013, mobile devices have surpassed desktop PCs and laptops in terms of time spent on online shopping. According to comScore, 55% of all time spent with online retail in June 2013 occurred on a mobile device, while 45% occurred on desktops. Specifically, smartphones accounted for 44% of retail internet minutes while tablets accounted for 11%.
This trend is rapidly increasing. As of 2016, smartphones now account for 78% of digital media time spent.
That said, most of today’s companies are implementing the “mobile-first” approach to website design to ensure that their site works seamlessly on mobile devices. They also ensure that the appearance and functionality automatically adjust to other platforms the user may have access to, such as desktop and laptops.
For small and medium-sized businesses, this is approach is more cost-effective than creating a second site that is parallel to your desktop-oriented site. Although it is more work-intensive to build a mobile-responsive website, it’s benefits are extremely significant in the long run.
- You’ll Achieve Higher Page Rankings
Since Google’s algorithm update in April 2015, Responsive Design is now prefered in Google’s rankings over having a separate mobile website, or not having a mobile-friendly website at all. This major update also imposes significant penalties in terms of search results on websites that fail to meet its standards for mobile usability.
According to Matt Cutts, using a separate website for mobile and desktop might work just fine, but if not handled properly, “might, in theory, divide the page rank between those two pages”. Having a responsive design, on the other hand, “means that everything is handled in one URL so the page rank doesn’t get divided”.
Search ranking is critical for many businesses nowadays, so if you do not want to lose out to your competition, you had better create a mobile-friendly website today.
- Better User Experience
Another reason why your business will benefit from having a mobile-friendly website is that it provides your audience with better mobile experience.
Mobile user experience is such a big deal nowadays that in fact, 52% of users said that a bad mobile experience made them less likely to engage with a company!
Imagine this: A visitor to your website is very much interested in your product, to the point he already told ten of his friends to check out your website. Now, they used their mobile devices to access your site, but unfortunately, it took thirty seconds to load, and even worse, the page content was not displayed properly.
Will they still buy from your website? Probably not.
A bad user experience can hugely affect the reputation of your brand. If the user has to spend time zooming and scrolling around a desktop website on their mobile, they are more likely to leave your site within the first few seconds.
- Mobile Website is Good for Social Media Marketing
The social media sphere continues to explode these days, especially on mobile devices. In fact, 91% of mobile internet access is used for social activities.
The good thing is, if your business is utilizing social media marketing, then it is likely most of your followers are using their mobile devices to access your website. If you want to maximize your social media marketing efforts, you need to design a website that is responsive and can make your products and services more shareable.
- It is More Economical
Following a “mobile-first” approach ensures that the appearance and functionalities of a desktop website, such as comprehensive menu navigation, are rescaled based on the device or equipment being used by the user.
In doing so, you no longer need to create and manage separate websites for mobile devices and desktop PCs, allowing you to save a lot of money on design, development, and maintenance.
- Better Conversions and Sales
Top of all the benefits of having a mobile-friendly website – it will also help you improve your online conversions and sales.
If your target market can access your website conveniently on their mobile devices, then they are more likely to complete contact forms, make purchases, and become a loyal customer of your brand!
- It is Future-proof
As the global commerce and technology continue to intersect and develop, it can be a real challenge for businesses to forsee what is coming up next.
One of the main benefits to having a mobile-friendly, responsive website is that even for dynamic technology platforms– such as wearable devices and smartphones- your website will still run very well and be optimized. This means that mobile-friendly website will serve your business for years to come.
The mobile market is rapidly expanding nowadays. It presents a great opportunity for your business to stand out from your competition. When done properly, your mobile website will help you attract more customers and achieve a better bottom line.
Cantact joe@jdc.ie
Sources:
https://www.internetretailer.com/2013/10/01/its-official-mobile-devices-surpass-pcs-online-retail
http://resources.mobify.com/50-mobile-commerce-stats.html
https://www.webdesignchoice.co.uk/blog/reasons-business-friendly/
https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/user-experience-stats-infographic
http://socialfactor.com/social-media-marketing-statistics/