While the title of this article seems a little too obvious, almost to the point of being silly, it is true in more ways that you might realize. Mobile phones, and other like devices have been here for years now, right? So what does the statement “mobile is here” even mean?
We are living in an era in which information is delivered predominantly via digital media. Whether you need a service, such as a locksmith or a plumber, or are just wondering where to eat tonight, the chances are that your answers will come digitally, in one way or another. Maybe you will sit down in front of your laptop, or your PC, and search Google for the Sushi bar your friend told you about. Then again, maybe you will do it on your phone, since you are just standing there, in line, at the grocery store anyway…
The percentage of people that use mobile devices to find information, businesses, directions, etc. instead of a PC, changes, depending upon which “expert” you listen to. One thing upon which they all agree however, is that that time is fast approaching where more people will get the info they need from mobile devices than from PCs.
As of this writing, the current estimates of how many people use their mobile phones to connect to the internet and find the information they need is roughly 40%. That means that if a potential customer is looking to reach out to you, there is roughly a 40% chance that they will do so via a mobile device.
The question then becomes: when they find you, what will their experience be? To answer that question, grab the nearest smartphone, and look up your website.
The fact is that people want what they want, and they want it fast. If your site is not mobile friendly (meaning the information they need is displayed comfortably, and easy to access via a mobile device), people will lose patience and move on to your competitor. Very simply put – you just lost that potential client.
At the time of this writing, a Google search for a plumber in my local area turned up 1,390,000 results. I am pretty sure that, out of all those results, I will find a company whose site is easy to access and navigate on my mobile device. If my kitchen sink is backed up, and I am on my mobile device while carpooling to the office, trying to find a plumber in my area to fix it, don’t let your website be the one that I pass up because I cannot find an easy way to get a hold of you directly from your non-mobile-friendly web page.
So, when I say that “mobile is here”, what I really mean is “are you ready for it?” If your answer is along the lines of, “Um… not really” then we should talk. Go ahead and head over to our Contact Page, and let’s discuss your options. Whether the answer for you is a simple mobile version of your site that is set up on a sub-domain (for example: m.yoursite.com), or a complete rebuild of your existing site into a responsive, mobile friendly, search engine optimized, customer grabbing, sales powerhouse, or anything in between… I am sure we can find a solution to fit your needs.
Do not let another customer slip past your reach.
BTW, while doing some research, I came across an article that stated that 23% of people have actually cursed at their smartphone after having a bad mobile web experience. While I am inclined to take that as being “tongue-in-cheek”, it does make you think… When it comes to client acquisition/retention, giving your potential clients a high quality experience is what it’s all about. I certainly would not want a potential customer cursing at their phone because of a bad experience with my site.