Did you know that 4 out of 5 consumers today shop with their smartphone? Let's face it, these days it's not enough to have a website for your business to truly connect with customers online. People are accessing the internet from desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones. Your customers are using mobile devices to search for businesses near them and shop online. A mobile website can make a big difference in how many customers find and interact with your business. The use of mobile phones to browse the internet is not new, but it continues to grow, making a mobile website increasingly important for businesses that want to survive in the marketplace.
Why mobile-friendliness is important for your company
Studies show that the average consumer spends more time browsing and using the internet on a mobile device than on a desktop or laptop. Tablets and phones are convenient to carry around and can be accessed instantly. How many times have you seen someone looking at their mobile phone while waiting for the bus, sitting in a restaurant or taking a break from work?
Some statistics to think about
In a Study from 2014, advertising network InMobi found that people in the United States spend more time accessing the internet on their mobile devices than on their PCs. That means you're missing out on more than half the market if your company's website is only designed for PCs. Furthermore in the meantime About one in three online searches carried out via mobile devices. People use their phones when they are travelling and looking for a local service. If your website shows up in search results and is easy to reach, you could instantly gain a new customer. A recent study by iAcquire found that 70% of mobile online searches lead to an action within less than an hour of the search. This means that the mobile search is a more effective way to reach customers than desktop searchand can quickly lead to new customer interactions and sales.
Connect with your customers where they already are
These days, accessing the internet on a mobile phone is second nature to just about everyone. No matter where your customer is, having a website that is easily accessible from a mobile device makes it easier for them to browse your website, find what they need and take the next steps. Whether it's your company's phone number, information about your products or services, or directions to your business. They can easily browse your website and quickly find what they're looking for - and that's the bottom line. Mobile websites make it easier for consumers to get the information they want.
Mobile websites create a better user experience
The better and more comfortable the experience in a restaurant or retail shop, the more likely it is that a customer will stay longer and ultimately make a purchase. The same applies to websites. If a website is difficult to navigate or slow to load, there is a good chance that an internet user will close it and look elsewhere. Standard websites can work on mobile devices, but they tend to be clunky. They are designed to be viewed on a large PC screen and become distorted and slow when viewed on a smaller mobile device. Mobile websites, on the other hand, are specifically designed for easy use on a mobile phone or tablet. This means that users don't have to spend time scrolling, pinching or zooming to find the information they want. The files are also smaller and usually load faster on mobile devices. This is good because a fast load time reduces the likelihood of someone getting impatient and clicking the back button and going to your competitor. Mobile websites make for a more pleasant viewing experience and faster navigation, which can ultimately lead to better business.
Which type of mobile website is right for you?
To make things even more complicated, there are several types of mobile websites. Which option is best for you will depend on the size of your business and the type of services you offer. Here's a quick guide that breaks down the differences between the various types and highlights some of the pros and cons.
Dedicated mobile website
A dedicated mobile design is, simply put, a second website that is specifically targeted and designed for mobile devices. So instead of using a website that is only suitable for larger screens on desktop and laptop computers, you can opt for a second (mobile) website to serve customers on the go. An example of this is the site mobile.nytimes.com. When a user accesses the nytimes.com website from a mobile device, the website recognises that they are using a mobile device and redirects them to the mobile version of the website. This is a good option if your business doesn't need many pages and you just want to direct visitors to a physical business location and provide easily accessible contact information. It's also a good option to start with if you don't want to switch to a new responsive website. Dedicated mobile designs are faster and work better with mobile devices than responsive web designs, which focus on a variety of devices and not just mobile devices. This is because the workload is not done through the phone, but through the server that the device is connected to. Another advantage of dedicated mobile websites is that you can add custom features just for mobile devices, such as a "click to call" button or "click for directions" button Images and content tend to be much easier to see on mobile devices than on standard desktop websites. The downside, of course, is that you don't have the same functionality on your mobile website as you would with a responsive design, nor can you really engage with your customers. The biggest disadvantage of a dedicated mobile website is that you have to create and maintain two separate websites: one for traditional desktops and laptops and one for mobile devices. This can take additional time and resources.
Responsive design
Responsive web design works differently to dedicated mobile websites. Instead of a separate desktop and mobile website, responsive web design allows you to create a single website that automatically adapts and resizes to each device. Responsive websites use a fluid, proportion-based grid that adapts to the screen size of the device on which a user is viewing the website. You can find an example at www.ancestry.com So why responsive? For starters, Google favours responsive design over other options. Since the big "G" dominates more than 67 % of the search market, you should take this into consideration when making your decision. According to Google, responsive websites are more efficient for the Google bot to crawl, index and organise all online content. With responsive websites, you only have one URL and the same HTML code for all devices. (As opposed to a desktop version and a mobile version) If you have 2 versions of a website, Google is forced to crawl and index multiple versions of the same website. But Google has also said that it's best to go with the solution that gives the user a better experience. So take this with a grain of salt. Secondly, it's the path the industry is taking. Right now, responsive design is still in its infancy in many ways, but that's not stopping some of the biggest companies in the world from moving to responsive design. Companies like: Microsoft Tech Crunch Adobe Reliable Soft It is estimated that more than 5 billion people will use a mobile device in 2017. "It's not a question of whether you need a responsive design, it's just a question of when The biggest disadvantage is that if you want to make your website responsive, you will have to design and develop a new website. Yes, it is technically "possible" to keep your existing design and make your website responsive at the same time, but we don't recommend it for a variety of reasons. The most important reason, however, is that your old website was not originally designed to be responsive. This can lead to a lot of headaches if you try to make it responsive instead of biting the bullet, switching to a responsive website and getting ahead of your competition. So if you're happy with your current website, it might be better to opt for a dedicated mobile site first and switch to a responsive design later
Check your website
Once you've created your mobile website, you need to make sure it looks exactly the way you want it to. With tools like the Google Chrome emulator or the Edge Inspect from Adobe you can emulate your mobile website on different devices to make sure it works properly.
How do you choose the best options for your company?
This question is a bit like those psychological inkblot tests, because the answer is different for everyone. Neither option is wrong. Therefore, you should consider your business goals and choose the option that best suits your needs. Will you be updating your content frequently? Then responsive design might be the option that best suits your needs. Do you want a customised mobile experience? Then a dedicated mobile website could be the right solution for you. So when you need to make a decision, keep these three things in mind - your business goals, your budget and the option that works best for your customers.
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