Yes, You Really Do Need a Mobile Website

​Mobile usage is experiencing explosive growth worldwide.  In the United States, 56% of adults own a smart phone. And they aren’t just using their phones for calls and email. Recent surveys show that 79 percent are using their phones to help them make buying decisions, while 74 percent are actually making purchases on their devices. 

The widespread use of mobile devices presents one of the most significant opportunities for small business marketing in recent years, and small business owners seem to know it. A 2012 survey by Web.com Group found that 69 percent of the small business owners surveyed consider mobile marketing to be a critical area of growth for them over the next few years.  But while they recognize mobile marketing as a key growth area, few have pulled the trigger on ensuring their business’ websites are mobile-friendly.

Having a mobile or responsive design website is absolutely essential.  It is a fundamental requirement. You cannot get out of it.  

To not have a mobile-friendly site is to ignore a rapidly growing segment of your customer base and potential customer base that wants to connect with your business online. 

If you are still not sure you need one, check out your business’ website statistics to find out what kind of traffic your site is getting from mobile users.  

Let’s say your site had 100 visitors last month, and eight of those visitors were viewing your site from a mobile device. Eight people out of 100 might not seem like that many, but it’s important to remember, they aren’t just faceless users, they are people - customers or potential customers.

We’ve all experienced the frustration of pinching and zooming our way around a website to try to get the information we need into the view of our tiny mobile screens. If your business’ website isn’t mobile-friendly, those eight potential customers likely had a less than satisfying experience.

Now, if eight people walked into your business last month and had a frustrating customer service experience, that would be bad wouldn’t it? But if eight people last month had a poor experience on your website, that’s ok? Of course not! You must have a mobile-friendly website. It is non-negotiable.  

Of course there is more to mobile marketing than just having a mobile-friendly site.  Social media, text messaging, directory websites, review-based sites and other tools can work together to create a successful strategy to help your business reach mobile users. But a mobile-friendly website is a critical component. You want your customers to have an effortless experience as you drive them from your mobile marketing platforms to your website. If your site is not mobile-friendly, that experience could be a little bumpy. Make it easy for them to do business with you by providing them with a website that works for them.

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