Mobile Websites – 20 Reasons Why a Mobile Website is a Must for any business!

You’ve certainly noticed that the world has gone “mobile” and it seems to have happened almost overnight. Smartphone and mobile tablet sales have increased dramatically and is not expected to slow down any time soon.

Due to this growing use and the ever-expanding set of platform applications (smartphone features and apps) – consumers are using their smartphones and tablets to perform a large and growing number of daily tasks, such as surfing the web, engaging in social media, reading product reviews, shopping, and so much more.

This massive shift in consumer mobile behavior is forcing businesses all over the world to implement mobile marketing strategies that will help them stay up to date when it comes to reaching their target audience.

One of the most vital tools to accommodate this change is a mobile-friendly website or a mobile website that allows mobile users to easily access your site and all its content. Mobile internet search via smartphones and tablets is one of the fastest-growing mobile activities of all times and it’s expected to gain even more momentum in the coming years.

However, many mobile users are still being met by websites that take forever to load, are hard to mobi-navigate, and are hard to read. In this day and age, every company needs to have a mobile-friendly website if they want any chance of connecting with mobile consumers.

See  the 20 statistics related to the growth of mobile usage and how they may impact your business below our Mobile Website Video:

1. There are approximately 6.8 billion mobile subscriptions today

This statistic pretty much speaks for itself; this is 96% of the world population. Mobile usage is definitely not going away anytime soon. However, this also means that your business has to make sure that you are implementing mobile strategies that will help you capitalize on this massive audience.

2. Mobile marketing is growing 8 TIMES faster than the internet grew in the early 1990’s

You’ve probably noticed how quickly the internet has grown over the past couple of decades. Thanks to the web, small businesses have been able to implement growth strategies that allow them to generate more leads and customers than ever before. However, mobile marketing is growing 8 times faster than the internet, which means if your business is not “mobilized,” now is the time.

3. Mobile internet search has grown by 500% over the past two years

• This is proof of just how quickly mobile internet search is growing. With the massive amount of new mobile subscriptions and smartphone purchases amongst consumers, the growth rate of mobile search is not expected to slow down. In fact, it will continue to grow as more people become comfortable using their smartphones and other mobile devices to perform online searches.

4. 50% of all local searches are performed on mobile devices

Out of all the searches performed by people who are looking for “local” businesses, products, and services, one-half of them are performed on mobile devices instead of desktop computers. Again, this shows just how much consumers depend on their mobile devices in their quest to find local information.

5. 33% of mobile internet searches are for “local” products and services

• More than 1/3 of all internet searches performed on mobile devices are for “local” products and services. In a nutshell, this means that these consumers are searching for local businesses in their area that can provide what they need and want. As a local business, this means if you do not have a mobile-friendly website, your chances of connecting with local mobile consumers is slim.

6. 94% of smartphone owners look for local information on their phone

• As you already know, many consumers today own smartphones and tablets. But did you know that nearly all of them use these devices to find “local” information? Smartphones contain several capabilities to make our lives easier; and one of those capabilities is online search. If you do not have a mobile-friendly website, many of these smartphone and tablet owners won’t be able to connect with your business.

7. 61% of users call a business after finding them on their smartphone

• Mobile users are usually ready to take some type of action when searching for local businesses. In other words, these are HOT, ready-to-spend leads. As a local business, your success thrives on the number of leads you can get.

8. 59% of users visit a business after finding them on their smartphone

• Again these are HOT leads who are ready to take action. Mobile conversion rates are much higher than any other type of marketing or advertising. However, without a mobile-optimized website, you’re missing out on these potential new customers.

9. 71% of smartphone users that see TV ads, printed ads, or online ads, do a mobile search for more information

• If your business is doing other types of advertising, mobile is still a major factor in converting those leads into paying customers. For instance, if you’re running a TV ad, many people use their mobile devices to find out more information about your company, products, or services after seeing that ad. So they need to be met with a mobile-friendly site when doing their research.

10. 45% of users between 18 and 29 use mobile search daily

• These consumers search the internet from their mobile devices every single day. That is a large number of “buying age” consumers who could be potentially trying to access your website, but can’t; which means lost profits for your business.

11. 44% of mobile users read reviews and product information

• Mobile users like to see what others have to say about a company before they do business with them. They also like to get as much information as possible about products and services before making a purchasing decision. Make it easy for them to find out everything your company has to offer by having a mobile version of your website.

12. Local mobile searches are projected to exceed desktop searches for the first time in 2015

• Currently, most internet searches are performed on desktop computers. However within a few years, most internet searches will be performed from mobile devices. This means that most people will rely on their smartphones and tablets to find local products, services, and businesses. If you do not have a mobile website yet, it’s not too late to get one so you can be ahead of the curve and capturing more leads and customers via mobile.

13. 74% of consumers will wait 5 seconds for a web page to load on their mobile device before abandoning the site

• If your business does not have a mobile-friendly website, it probably takes much longer than 5 seconds to load for mobile users. This means that you are literally missing out on a large amount of potential customers. Consumers today move fast and do not have the patience to wait more than several seconds for a website to load on their mobile devices.

14. 40% of mobile users have turned to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile experience.

• If you think it’s bad that mobile users can’t properly view your website, it’s even worse that many of them immediately move on to a competitor’s mobile-friendly website. Not only does your website block them from reaching you, but it pushes them directly into your closest competitor’s sales funnel.

15. 46% of mobile users say they are unlikely to return to a website they had trouble accessing from their phone

• If consumers experience slow loading times… or have a problem finding the information they need on your site while using their mobile devices, they become frustrated. Many of them make a vow to never “try” to view your website again from their mobile phone. Potentially, these leads and prospects are lost forever.

16. 61% of people have a better opinion of brands when they offer a good mobile experience.

• When consumers can whip out their mobile devices, quickly pull up a website, and easily find the information they’re looking for, it’s refreshing. Why is that? It’s because most businesses have yet to make it easy for them. So when they come across companies that are actually catering to their mobile audience by having mobile-friendly websites, they think highly of the brand.

17. 53% of shoppers compare in-store prices to online prices while shopping.

• While shopping, consumers want to make sure they’re getting the best bang for their buck. So they use their mobile devices to compare in-store pricing to online prices. This proves that consumers are serious about using their mobile phones to help them make buying decisions. A mobile-friendly website makes it easy for consumers to check your products and pricing.

18. Mobile searchers are 51% more likely to make a purchase than desktop searchers

• When mobile users perform internet searches, they are usually looking to take some type of action right away. Whereas, desktop users are usually doing more “surfing.” This means that businesses that do not have a mobile-friendly website are losing these potential customers to their competitors. No one wants to wait until they get in front of a desktop computer to search for information that they need right now.

19. 74%, have used their phones to get directions to store locations and other business information

• Most mobile users search for local information while on the go. Imagine that a potential customer is looking for your phone number or directions to your store while out running errands. Well, if they can’t access your website to get your phone number, directions, hours of operation, or other information, that lead is pretty much lost.

20. 48% use them for promotions and coupons

• Consumers today love discounts and coupons, as evident by this statistic. When consumers are looking for coupons and promotional offers for your company in particular, the first place they will go is to your website. However, if your website is not mobile-friendly, they will be met with a slow-loading, hard to navigate site instead of a great coupon that they can redeem immediately.

 To learn about KEY FEATURES OF A MOBILE WEBSITE – Click Here

By Chad Currin, Mobile Marketing Strategist at WEBv5.com – website design company near Saratoga, NY. WEBv5.com is a website design and internet marketing firm helping clients with a mobile website design, mobile website strategy, mobile website optimization, and all mobile website needs.

If you are interested in seeing what your site could look like as a mobile site, please contact Chad Currin, using the contact form to your right and giving us your domain.  We will give you a free preview of your own site as a mobile website.  We can even make any changes you want in our prototype.  If you like it, it can be your for a very low $24.99/month.  And for a limited time we are even waiving the $179.00 set up fee.  This deal can’t and won’t last forever so contact us today for your free mobile website design.