Survey: Businesses Must Optimize Their Websites for Mobile Devices (or Lose Customers)
Our economy is recovering…slowly. Very slowly. And though the financial markets seems to have recovered for the most part, many people on Main Street are still worrying about their jobs along, paying the bills and keeping their homes. In addition, many folks remain burdened by consumer credit card debt. In short, these are still difficult times for people.
Here’s what that means for you as a business owner: You simply can’t make it harder for customers to buy your products or services. Unfortunately, many local businesses aren’t making things easy when it comes to their websites. As more and more people are looking for nearby businesses with their mobile devices (according to Google, 1 in 3 searches are for local information) businesses are still running antiquated sites that look like crap (let’s face it) on smartphones and tablets.
Are you chasing away customers?
At first blush, this might look like a small problem. It’s not, unfortunately. As the folks at MarketingVOX recently outlined, there are very real financial penalties for having a mobile-unfriendly website. As a growing number of consumers use mobile devices to access the internet, the penalties are becoming stronger. In a recent post, MarketingVOX pointed out research from Google showing that:
- A majority—61 percent—of consumers say that they’ll leave a website if it’s not optimized for small touch screens.
- A whopping 96 percent of consumers say they’ve had bad experiences on websites that were not designed for non-desktop screens.
- 50 percent of respondents said that even if they liked a business, they’d be less inclined to buy in the future if the business’s website isn’t mobile friendly.
The Google survey also discovered that 96 percent of consumers say they’ve stumbled upon websites that were not designed for mobile devices. And half of consumers stated that even if they like a business, they’ll purchase from it less frequently if the business’s website is not mobile-friendly. And on the plus side? A full 74 percent say that they’re more likely to return to a mobile-friendly website.
What you must do: Optimize for mobile!
What type of mobile experience have you been offering to your prospects and customers? If it’s bad, the research from Google is unequivocal: you’re losing customers. If it’s a good experience, you’re probably taking them away from your competitors. It’s not hard to see why mobile website optimization is so important. Look around you. Chances are good you’ll see someone hunched over a mobile device, tapping away at their iPhone, Android tablet or Kindle e-reader. This isn’t a passing fad. In fact, a recent report from Morgan Stanley projects that web browsing on mobile devices will outpace web browsing on desktop computers within the next year. And according to a joint Google/Ipsos study, after consumers search for a business via mobile, 61% say they make a phone call and 59% say they actually go to the business!
Can you guess which businesses are more likely to hear the phone ring? Yes, those with mobile-ready websites. For those who have a smartphone, here’s your homework: pull up your website with your mobile browser. If your site looks cramped or unreadable, you know what you have to do: fix it. Get help if you need it! Otherwise, you’re in danger of losing what every business depends upon. Paying customers.
