Mobile is major right now and that is a fact that no one can dispute. In 2012, accessing the Internet from mobile phones was 12 times the amount of regular Internet usage that was had in the year 2000.
Mobile is becoming so huge that every single day mobile users are making purchases from their phones. Every single month, 69% of tablet owners purchase something. Approximately 77% of smart phone users have researched a product or service on their phone with about half moving forward with the purchase.
It is this that emphasizes the importance of mobile design.
So why aren’t some businesses seeing a bigger return on their mobile efforts? It is because they are doing it all wrong. The design is wrong, the strategy is wrong, everything is wrong.
For instance, Forbes has a pop-up ad on its site that comes up every time a person visits its website. Both mobile and desktop users encounter this ad, so they are literally doing it wrong all the way around. However, they are a popular website because they are a powerful source of information and most people tolerate the ad, but tolerating such ads, especially on mobile, are not typically tolerated like this.
Sites that also force their visitors to opt into something in order to read the content are also turn-offs unless it is a valuable source of information, such as the New York Times.
Regardless of how these other websites do it, what is important is how you address your mobile presence.
Statistically, the top businesses have mobile-friendly websites. While 60 percent of small businesses in the country have websites, only 30% of those have mobile websites. Why so few?
- They don’t see the value because they most likely are not aware of the number of mobile phone users looking for what they have to offer.
- They see the value, but they don’t know where to begin. It is actually much easier than they think.
When having an experienced mobile web designer design a mobile site, mobile SEO comes into play. Mobile SEO has become increasingly important since Google is now delivering results based on the device that individuals are using. This includes on-page optimization for location, performing some link-building, and making sure data is structured correctly. Lastly, it is important to ensure the mobile site is also linked up to social media accounts since social media plays an important role in website performance.
Mobile design is a process, but it does create a return on investment. Even those on tight budgets can benefit from having a mobile site since many individuals are searching while they are on the go. If they need to find a specific store, restaurant, doctor’s office, or another type of business, they go straight to their phone to search the Internet.
