Do You Need a Mobile Version of Your Website?
by Josette Millar
Having a website is now Business 101 but having a mobile website is quickly becoming just as important. With 63 percent of adults accessing the Internet from a mobile phone and 34 percent using that phone as their primary device for accessing the Internet, according to Pew Research, alienating smart phone users is no longer an option. For a business to succeed, you need a mobile version of your website.
Mobile Sites Allow Fast Access
While most families use DSL for their computers, smart phones often run on lagging 3G connections. What loads in an instant using high speed Internet, crawls to completion on a phone line. Alienating mobile users by not providing a streamlined, easy-to-load website means fewer customers using your site and less business revenue due to lost sales from mobile users. A mobile version of your website provides the minimal information, ensuring that mobile users are delivered information quickly and effectively.
Mobile Sites are Catered to All Mobile Users
Websites are great, if you’re surfing on a laptop. When you use a smart phone or tablet, navigating the clunky interface built for a bigger screen can be annoying at best and unmanageable at worst. A mobile website provides easy information and access for all mobile devices and tablets by creating a streamlined version of a website. This mobile website design provides vital information in an easy to use format for small screens. Mobile sites are made to be seen on any mobile device so, as a business owner, you don’t need to worry about all the different screen sizes.
Mobile Sites are Simple
Many business owners cringe thinking about the long and drawn out process required to properly brand and create a website. Starting that process from scratch to create a mobile site may seem overwhelming. Thankfully, creating a mobile version of a website simply requires paring down your existing website rather than building a new one. Mobile websites are easy, no frills versions of your current online site with the same branding but easier loading capability.
Mobile Sites Cut Your Competition
No matter your industry, losing business to a competitor is not an option. Sales turn into word-of-mouth referrals and brand awareness which promotes more sales. Creating a mobile version of your website is just another way to increase your advantage over competitors. Many businesses ignore mobile users, not realizing that they make up 16 percent of all website traffic. Neglecting to make a simple mobile site alienates nearly one out of every five online customers.
Mobile Sites Increase Sales
Having a customer fill an online cart but never check out is a frustrating situation for business owners. For websites, creating an easy to use checkout system and additional incentives, such as coupons, can help convert a browser into a buyer. Mobile websites are just another way to transition those customers by providing instant access to your product with no hoops to jump through in creating a purchase order. A mobile version of your website provides just one more way to increase your customer base and your sales.
If you’re wondering whether you need a mobile device, the proof is in the numbers. With a majority of adults owning smart phones and nearly one in five users accessing websites from their phone, and that number only growing, creating a mobile website is no longer an option but a requirement. If you want to increase your customer base, see more business revenue, and increase brand awareness, you need a mobile version of your website.