People are using mobile devices to access the internet as never before. The trend is swelling with each passing day and there is no possible reason to see the decline in near future. Those who have not opted for the mobile-friendly website either have seen the consequences or will face it later.
Before moving further, let us have a brief overview of what constitutes a mobile-friendly website.
- Mobile friendly website should fit to small screens and designed elegantly
- Users can easily navigate the website from top to bottom through mobile devices
- The content should be lighter, which means displaying only the content that is relevant
- Website needs to be quick, efficient, simple and relevant
To understand the importance of having a mobile-friendly website, look at some of the interesting statistics revealing the future and current scenario.
- The percentage of companies optimizing email for mobile devices increased by 22% in 2014. (Adestra)
- 48% of consumers start mobile research with a search engine. (Smart Insights)
- By 2019, mobile advertising market will represent 72% of all US digital ad spending (Marketing Land)
- 79% of people surveyed use their smartphone for reading email — a higher percentage than those who used it for making calls (Email Monday)
- Average smartphone conversion rates are up 64% compared to the average desktop conversion rates. (CMS Report)
- 4 out of 5 consumers shop on smartphones (Comscore)
- 40% of people will choose a different search result if the first is not mobile friendly (Skillcrush)
Designing a mobile-friendly website at present is same as that of oxygen to live. No matter, how well you have designed your website unless it is not mobile friendly; you are not going to taste the fruitful reward.
If you are still not convinced and your mind is boggling that how a mobile-friendly website is going to benefit your business, read the comprehensive yet insightful post. You will definitely be convinced on why experts are emphasizing on having a mobile-friendly website.
Users Rely More on Mobile
Smartphones and Tablets are no longer a luxury item; in fact, people are glued to smartphones. Smartphone users are no longer considered an exception.
Average smartphone conversion rates are up 64% compared to the average desktop conversion rates. (CMS Report).
57% of users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site (CMS Report)
The statistics will soar even more in the coming years. With each passing day, everyone is going mobile and you can’t be in the state of denial.
Traffic is driven through Mobile
As the statistics reveal how people are browsing and interacting through smartphones, it makes sense that these people are the major source of any traffic. In 2014, mobile media consumption was 21% higher than that of desktop, accounting for 51% of all digital media consumption.
If you are thinking to have a nice decent traffic on your website, just make sure to make it mobile friendly. People are much lazier than ever and they don’t have time to open up their laptop and wait until the windows boot to let them do their desired task. People want everything on the go without a delay. The mobile statistics reveal that people are more dependent on information found on the internet than ever. so they are always looking for a convenient way to fulfil their needs.
Different Behavior across Channels
Although, there are same people behind mobile and desktop traffic, yet the behavior changes at large. In spite of limited bandwidth, mobile users tend to be excessive consumers of visual media, influenced by images and short videos. Instagram and Vine, popular social media websites have massively achieved success by offering videos and images.
All it takes to drive traffic is through the mobile-optimized website, engaging users at a bigger scale. With a few adjustments, you can also double the traffic, which hardly takes 10 to 15 minutes. If you can’t do it on your own, hire a web development company or outsource it to a freelancer.
Increased Conversions and Revenue
The benefit of having a mobile-friendly website is that it helps you convert more and generate more sales. For instance, if the mobile user visits your website to buy a product or service and could not find the checkout button or could not scroll easily, you are possibly going to lose the lead. Mobile shoppers are not very patient and may leave your website if they come up with an unresponsive website.
If you want to get most out of the mobile user, make sure to integrate CTAs clearly with easy to click the button. Moreover, the contact information should also be visible to visitors because most of the visitors would like to know about company’s profile and contact info before opting out for purchase.
Google Ranks it higher
As of April 2015, Google encourages websites and prioritize them over the non-mobile friendly websites in rankings. If your website is not configured for smartphone and tablet users, your website will ultimately drop in ranking.
Moreover, if you are still not convinced on having a mobile-friendly website, this might encourage you to take action immediately. Those who don’t have a mobile-friendly website will ultimately face the site speed penalty, which is also a major factor in increasing or decreasing the ranking of a website.
Social Media Referrals
Mobile internet access is used for social activities and counts to 91%. The trend of social media is increasing day by day and that is why the focus is mostly on mobile devices. If your branding and marketing depend on social media marketing, there are chances that the traffic inflow will be through mobile devices.
Non-mobile friendly website can disavow your digital marketing efforts and waste your cash if you are using paid advertisement for promotion. If you are looking for higher response rate from the audience and higher click-through rates, make sure to make your website mobile friendly.
Reduce Your Bounce Rate
There might be a possibility that content that looks awesome on the desktop might be unreadable on a mobile device. Visitors will opt out of the website if they are not comfortable seeing the content and have to zoom in and out.
The problem with unresponsive and non-mobile friendly website is that it will increase the bounce rate. The increase in bounce rate means little to no conversion. For intuitive user experience and letting your visitors stay on your website for a longer period, you have to make your website mobile friendly and responsive. User experience is the key to successfully optimize your website for mobile devices where you offer ease and convenience to the visitors, resulting in lower bounce rate.
Conclusion
The reasons to make your website mobile friendly are numerous. As a store owner, you can’t afford to let the customers opt out and look for other websites. Similarly, if you are individual offering services, how much would you expect that users will make extra effort to turn on their laptop to access your website. Definitely, no one has enough time. If you want your customers to stay on your website, you need to take the actions immediately. Otherwise, your competitors will take the lead.
