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Only 8 months ago, we wrote about the growing importance of the mobile web. More and more statistics are being rolled out demonstrating that, if your business is not offering a good mobile experience, you are not just missing out, but actually being penalised.
Let's spit out some statistics for you:
Searches
Around 25% of the world's internet traffic is now on mobile and tablet
By the end of 2013, online purchases via mobile topped $31 billion
Mobile e-commerce now accounts for 23% of sales - note that Tablets are the great success here and are much more likely to account for conversion than the mobile phone
73% of mobile searches trigger additional action and conversion
Conversions
Only 35% of businesses have mobile-optimised sites.
Companies with mobile sites triple their chance of getting mobile conversions.
55% of purchase related conversions occur within 1 hour of a mobile search
40% of consumers say they will turn to a competitor's site if they have a bad mobile experience
97% of mobile carts are abandoned due to the diversion of non-optimised screens
52% of tablet users say they prefer to shop via Tablet rather than PC
Image may be NSFW.
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What to do about it
So what are you going to do in the face of the overwhelming evidence of this growing trend?
First make the check to see if your web presence works well on mobile. The best way to do this is to go through your site as if you were your own customer. You can check different views by using your own mobile or tools such as Firefox browser mobile view. Is it a satisfactory result? Would you use your own site on a mobile? If not, it's time for change.
Responsive v's Apps
For anyone wondering what the difference is, a Responsive design is one that displays appropriately according to the screen you are viewing it on. It remains in the cloud on a server. An App is a special piece of software downloaded onto your mobile device which performs a particular function. Apps are increasingly connecting with online services.
Apps receive such a positive press, many businesses immediately ask if they can have one written. From the point of view of best practice, this is not the right way to go. You should look at Apps only if you can guarantee the traffic and effort involved in creating the App to begin with and supporting it in the longer term. Not that we are against them, but they have no "search" value in their own right. An App, after all, is just a piece of software installed on another computer - in this case a mobile one. Once an App is downloaded, however, it is great for simplifying tasks, locking in customers and driving traffic. This, of course, is what any business wants, but a small business has to ask itself if it can get enough copies on to their audience's mobiles to begin with.
Responsive sites, then are often the best option for small businesses without a killer reason for going straight to App. If your designer does not offer you this type of design, then it is time you got a new designer. It's worth saying from a business point of view that you should have your web site improved anyway, regardless of whether you are having an App written. After all, you want your customer experience to be seamless and to look good whatever the circumstances.
Expect the battle lines to be drawn on mobile commerce where the value of being able to go through the purchasing operation without the complication of a cart may offer benefits to the App over a Responsive site in the longer term.
Giving your customers a quality experience
There is a final point. All of us who use the web value the quality of the experience. The traditional T of the web designer was fine when we all looked at the web the same way. The limitations of mobile screens (yes, they are brilliant, but they are small) makes it even more important that your key messages fall in the right places on a given platform. Likewise, if you can't navigate easily because fingers can't reach a menu, you are going to lose your potential clients. So go through the options with your designer to make sure they are getting a great experience no matter what the device.
Our final advice - get mobile, but whatever you choose, make sure your online presence looks great, is functional and gives a wonderful experience. Over to you...
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