If you want to reach people on mobile, you’ve got to start with the basics-a mobile site. Right now, over 25% of Internet users access the Internet exclusively using a smart phone or tablet. With that rate doubling each year, mobile Internet users are set to surpass home Internet usage by 2015. 50% of all Internet searches come from mobile-devices only. These trends underscore the need for your business to have a mobile website.
A mobile website can be a stand-alone entity, designed specifically for smart phones and tablets with content tailored specifically for the mobile user. For example, a movie theater’s mobile site would primarily display show times; for a restaurant, a mobile site would focus on the menu, business hours, and contact information for placing reservations. Mobile websites are much easier to read, to navigate, and to use on smart phones and tablets, compared to using regular websites via cellular device. A study on mobile users by Google found that 96% of consumers have encountered sites that weren’t designed with mobile in mind. It also found that when it happens, it can be bad for business-48% reported feeling frustrated and annoyed.
Along with social media connections like Facebook and YouTube, having a mobile website is becoming more important in supplementing your site’s exposure and ensuring loyal customers. In an online survey, when mobile users visited a mobile-friendly site, 74% of people say they’re more likely to return to that site in the future and 67% of users say that when they visit a mobile-friendly site, they’re more likely to buy a site’s product or service.
A great mobile website experience is becoming essential to your company, and users will continue to look for a mobile-friendly site until they find one that works for them. That means your competitors will benefit if your site fail to do the job (and vice versa). 61% of users said that if they didn’t find what they were looking for right away on a mobile site, they’d quickly move on to another site. Also, 79% of people who don’t like what they find on one site will go back and search for another site.
