5 Reasons Why You Need a Mobile Website... Right Now!

1. Your Clients Have Smart phones or Tablets

Nearly everyone around you carries an Internet-connected device.  Maybe it's an iPhone, Android phone, iPad, Kindle or other tablet. Even some MP3 players such as an iPod touch have web browsers built into them.  More then 2 billion of the world's population is connected to the Internet, and one-half of them have mobile devices that are Web enabled.

No longer do your customers rush across to the nearest desktop computer to Google something they want to research.  They simply pull out their mobile devices, fire up a Web browser, and find the answer within minutes.

Unless you have a mobile friendly web site that makes it easy to navigation on these devices, you could lose their business.

2. Your Regular Website Might Look Terrible on Certain Mobile Devices

Mobile device users expect their Web surfing experience to match their desktop browsing.  You cannot get away with installing a plug-in that converts your regular website into one that looks fairly decent on mobile phones & tablets.

Users expect your site to load quickly.  They are accustomed to navigating with the tap of a finger, and pinch-zooming areas that interest them.  Visual appeal and attractiveness take the back seat to utility, especially on shopping carts.  A staggering 70% of all smartphone owners use their device while shopping.

A mobile-ready website must be easy on the eyes - and thumbs.  Navigating your website, clicking on links, filling in forms, and placing orders must be quick and easy on a mobile phone.  Otherwise consumers will take one quick look, and then exit your site to visit another.

3. Mobile Phone Use Is Exploding

If you think your niche or market is still not significantly using mobile devices, this data will make you pause and rethink your strategy.  25% of online shopping on Black Friday 2012 was done using mobile and tablet devices.  European mobile e-commerce has skyrocketed by 183% last year.  The usage of smart phones and Web connected devices is growing at warp speed.

In 2 or 3 years, Internet usage on mobile devices will exceed that on desktops.  In a survey, 2 out of every 3 users declared that they were unlikely to return to a mobile site which they found hard to get around.  40% said they would visit a competitor's site instead.

4. Mobile Phones Fuel Impulse Purchases

If your customers plan things at the very last minute, then you're sunk without a mobile strategy that reaches them at that point in time when they make decisions and act on them.  Be it the best movies to watch, the best places to eat, or the nearest pub to meet at, a search on their mobile device must pull up your website. 

TripAdvisor reported that tourists increasingly plan trips using their mobile phones (and download mobile apps to help with it).  Travelers research restaurants, read about destinations, study reviews, find accommodations and book flights on mobile devices.  This trend has turned online travel planning on its head.

Without a mobile optimized website, you'll miss out on this customer base.  Smartphone users are more likely to take action on mobile-friendly sites.  Sales conversion rates as high as 20% are commonplace with mobile visitors. 

5. Mobile Websites Will Future-Proof Your Business

By making your website mobile compatible, you are preparing for the future and positioning your business for a growing user base that is familiar and comfortable browsing on a smart phone or tablet.  Higher search rankings on mobile-specific sections of search engines will depend upon how well optimized your website is for display on these devices.

As the mobile platform expands, having a mobile website can avoid the need to compensate by designing expensive apps for specific smartphone operating systems like Android, iOS, Symbian, RIM, Palm and Microsoft's mobile OS.  A well-designed mobile website looks good across all these platforms, making your website accessible to millions of online users.

There is little downside to having a mobile website.  The cost is modest, the technology is relatively simple, and the potential advantages are large enough to justify an investment into designing a mobile-friendly version of your website.  What are you waiting for?

You can view some of the mobile development we have done here. If you are ready to get started with your mobile website you can contact us at (712) 262-6674.