My Account 
It is Time to Optimize for Mobile
Friday, October 12th, 2012| A website design optimized for web and mobile browsers is necessary to successfully reach more viewers. Your website should be compatible to any type of platform and should be able to distinguish mobile visitors. This increases the possibility of attracting potential customers. Failure to optimize your website for mobile browsers could result in a loss of leads, conversions, and business profits.
Some are concerned about the cost to have their website design optimized for mobile browsers; but the reality is you must have a mobile optimized website. The mobile market is consistently growing, so you need take the advantage of those who do not comprehend its importance. You need to make the shift now, before the market is saturated. Optimizing your website for mobile users may come with a cost, but it is worth the investment . The benefits will increase your traffic and help your target audience find you anywhere and anytime. According to the International Data Corporation, most websites are not optimized for mobile access. It has been estimated that only 21% of all websites have been optimized. The other 79% will (or should) be considering mobile website optimization as well. Google has recognized this shift among mobile users and has added mobile tags to search results coming from mobile devices. |
|
| Review the following statistics about the mobile customer: | |
 |
Mobile search queries have grown 5X in the past two years.
95% of Smartphone users have searched for local information and 61% call a business after searching. 90% of Smartphone searches result in purchasing, visiting a business, etc. 74% of smartphone shoppers make a purchase. Mobile customers will likely account for $163 billion in sales worldwide by 2015. 40% of mobile users have turned to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile experience. |
| The final stat above means almost half of your customers may be lost to competitors if you do not have a mobile-optimized website.
The rise of mobile browsing is evidence that mobile optimized website design is necessary; if you want to reach the millions of mobile users who log on to the internet daily. Consider your Search Engine Optimization (SEO). You may have had strong SEO in the past, but everything is evolving. If you are not correctly mobilizing the results, you are missing a significant amount of prospects. |
|
| Once you have made the decision to optimize your website for mobile, you need to understand the behavior of mobile users. The actions of mobile users are different from desktop users, when it pertains to your website. You have to take into account what people will be using the mobile site for and organized it intelligently. An example, from the design perspective, is to incorporate large buttons and simplicity. You want to make sure the site is not discouraging to users who are viewing it on a mobile device. If someone accesses your website on a small, mobile screen and is forced to continuously scroll, zoom-in, etc., they will take their business elsewhere. | |
| Here are some additional tips when considering the design of your mobile website: | |
|
Keep it Simple – Users are visiting your mobile website trying to get information quickly. Think about why they are going to your site and design accordingly. An example – mobile users may want to call you, so make sure your phone number is prominent and offers a Click-to-Call feature. Also, your address should be located at the top of your page. Make sure you keep as much of the call-to-actions above the fold.
Employ your Images Wisely – Do not slow your homepage down with tons of useless images. Eliminate any pictures or graphics that are not essential and use smaller versions. Get Feedback – Your target audience will provide the most worthwhile feedback. Take note of any compliments and address any complaints you receive. Your website should function quickly, and the result you want is for clientele to act. |
| It is time you optimize for mobile, so let the professionals do the work , and watch your company capitalize by being in front of mobile users.
Did You Know? The shift to mobile Web access has been accelerating with the rise since 2007 of larger multi-touch Smartphones, and of multi-touch tablet computers since 2010. Both platforms provide better Internet access and browser- or application-based user Web experiences than previous generations of mobile devices have done. |
|
