Why Go Mobile?

One of the hot topics in web design and development this year was and is “going mobile.”  How could it not be, really? With the already huge influx of smartphone use both in America and internationally (36% of global consumers use smartphones; source) and the lofty projections for future smartphone usage increase, it’s no wonder that the web design world is a-buzz with discussions on how to meet the demand for mobile-friendly sites (check out TAG Online Vice President and CTO Andy Gideon’s article on defining “mobile-friendly” here).

Some people, however, choose to opt out of creating a version of their website specifically designed for mobile use. Websites can function on mobile devices–the problem is not that the sites are mobile “un-friendly”.  Sites that are mobile friendly, however, are specifically designed to achieve the goal of the website on a mobile device, which is the way a huge portion of your audience is viewing your site.  And remember, the goal of any website is, of course, to cause the visitor to take action.

Why you should create a mobile-friendly website:

• Sites lose functionality when they are not specifically created for mobile devices.  And loss of functionality means loss of sales (if the site is too difficult to use, the viewer will give up, as pointed out by Andy in his previous post).  By fitting the screen, having buttons large enough to click accurately with a finger, and having the most important information immediately accessible (store location, hours, “call us”/”get directions” button) mobile sites maintain the functionality of the original site, guiding people to take the same action that they would on a computer.
• Mobile commerce (mCommerce for short), is on the rise in a big way.  In 2012, US mCommerce sales rose 81% to nearly $25 billion, and in 2013, total mCommerce is expected to reach $37.44 billion (eMarketer report “Retail Mobile Commerce Forecast: Shoppers Turn to Smartphones First”).  Your business cannot afford to miss out on its piece of these mobile sales.
• Mobile/tablet sales are surpassing desktop computer/laptop sales.  According to current statistics, tablet sales surpassed laptop sales for the first time in 2013 and will continue to surpass laptop sales into 2019.  Tablet sales will surpass not only laptop sales, but also all PC sales, by 2015 (source).  As mCommerce and the ubiquity of mobile devices increase globally, “going mobile” becomes less and less an option, and more and more a necessity.
• Mobile friendliness is a ranking factor in search engines On April 21, 2015, Google Search expanded its use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal, meaning that mobile-friendly sites rank higher than non-mobile friendly sites on mobile devices.

As scores of new mobile-friendly sites are launched each day, don’t let your website get lost in the shuffle of sites that have not yet caught up with the trend.  An effective mobile-friendly site shows newness and an interest in keeping your business ahead of the curve.  As the ubiquity of mobile devices and mCommerce grows, your website cannot afford to lose its functionality when being viewed on a mobile device.  Keep your product moving–go mobile! Contact us to get started.