Over 80 percent of Internet users own a smartphone. And of those smartphone users, 50 percent use their smartphones immediately after they wake up! In other words, mobile interactions aren’t just a part of our everyday lives; they’ve become crucial to how we live, how we think, and how we act. We live in an increasingly mobile world, and if businesses expect to thrive, they need to have a robust mobile marketing strategy in place.
Central to any mobile strategy is a mobile-friendly website. So if you haven’t optimized your site for mobile already, here’s a few compelling reasons why you should start today (or yesterday):
1. Mobile Represents a 100 Billion-Dollar Market
According to Mobile Marketing Magazine, mobile advertising accounted for about 50 percent of all digital ad spend in 2016, which is worth around $100 billion. And mobile’s market share is only expected to increase, with some estimates projecting a 72 percent market share by 2019. Simply put, if you’re still relying solely on your desktop site for your ad revenue, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity!
2. Consumers Prefer Tablets for Ecommerce
Earlier this year, marketing resource Smart Insights released its statistics on consumer mobile usage. Data researchers wanted to know consumers’ preferred method of digital interaction—phone, desktop, or tablet—during any given time of day. During those prime browsing hours (between 8:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m.), they found that not only do consumers prefer tablets for browsing, but they also prefer tablets for buying. Tablets account for the highest add-to-cart rates on eCommerce sites, coming in at 8.58 percent. If your site isn’t optimized for tablets and smartphones, you’re not taking full advantage of those prime evening hours.
3. Google Punishes Mobile-Averse Sites
Let’s talk about SEO for a second. Google’s algorithm for producing its SERP rankings is constantly evolving; but as recently as this year, the algorithm has been adjusted to favor sites that are mobile-friendly—and penalize sites that are mobile-averse. And Search Engine Land has confirmed that “2017 is the year that [mobile-friendliness] will become the key factor in your quest for improved rankings and conversion rates.” SEO has always been a moving target, but, at least for the foreseeable future, a mobile-friendly approach will remain a constant.
4. Mobile Users Behave Differently
It should come as no surprise that we tend to behave differently with a smartphone than with a desktop computer. We’re more likely to use mobile devices when we’re bored, to connect with friends, to watch videos, and, as it turns out, to buy things. According to Treehouse, consumers are more likely to buy something for $10 or less on a smartphone, while tablet users will spend 50 percent more per purchase than smartphone users. So regardless of where your price points fall, you’ll have a better chance of improving sales when you optimize for mobile.
5. Your Customers Are Looking for You on Mobile
Businesses with brick-and-mortar locations, pay attention! Approximately 88 percent of customers who search for a business on mobile will either call or visit that business within 24 hours of the initial search. The overwhelming consensus among marketing experts is that customers crave a mobile experience from businesses. So if you’re easy to find on mobile, you’ll be easier to find in real life.
6. (They Are Also Looking for Your Competitors on Mobile)
If the prospect of increasing sales and customer satisfaction isn’t enough to convince you, maybe this will: According to McKinsey & Company, 61 percent of users are unlikely to return to a bad mobile site, and 40 percent of users will visit a competitor’s site instead! Take some time today to look through your competitors’ mobile sites or apps, because chances are they’re trying to win on mobile too.
7. Mobile Affects Your Reputation
Think about the message a bad mobile site is sending to that 61 percent of users who will never return, or to the 40 percent who will look into competitors: “We don’t care enough about your business to give you a good mobile experience.” What about the messages these users will send to their friends, family, and coworkers about their poor mobile experience? “This company is outdated, and its app is terrible!” If your site is not mobile-friendly, then whether or not you offer superior products or services becomes immaterial. Your mobile site creates a first and lasting impression in the minds of potential customers. Make it a good one.
8. It’s a Pivotal Step toward Digital Transformation
You may have heard or read about the term “digital transformation” before. If you haven’t, it’s the process of leveraging available technology to accelerate your business’s processes, activities, goals, and models. Regarding your website, digital transformation involves taking a closer look at your company’s digital footprint and finding ways to innovate. In a recent Salesforce Survey, surveyors found that 71 percent of marketers believe mobile marketing is core to their business; 68 percent of companies have integrated mobile marketing into their overall strategy, and 58 percent of companies have a dedicated mobile marketing team.
9. User Experience Is King!
When you take into account all the models, sizes, and brands of smartphones, tablets, and computer screens currently in use, there literally hundreds of ways for people to interact with your website. If your site is not mobile-friendly, that translates to hundreds of ways for people to have a bad user experience. And, as we’ve seen, poor user experience is bad for your Google rankings, and great for your competitors. Having a responsive web design isn’t enough anymore! Not only does your site need to fit on the screen, but it also needs to be usable. If you want your mobile site to stand out for the right reasons, you might consider working with a usability expert.
10. It’s Never Been Easier to Go Mobile
We’ve given you plenty of reasons why having a mobile-friendly website is important. It creates more business opportunities, can increase revenue, build better customer relationships, and crystalizes your good reputation. But you still might be thinking a) we don’t have time for it b) we don’t have the money for it and/or c) we don’t even know where to start. Lucky for you, establishing your brand on mobile has never been easier. If you think it’s time to get in on the action, schedule a 15-minute call with one of our design experts, and take your business to the next level!
