fbpx
888-511-6223

Small Biz Trends for 2014: Mobilizing Your Website

Nov

23

Small Biz Trends for 2014: Mobilizing Your Website

According to new survey data gathered by the email marketing giant, Constant Contact, the ‘mobile-ready website’ train has already left the station. By this, we mean that the small businesses trends for 2014 are pointing towards, yes you guessed it: mobile compatibility.

 

In fact, an estimated 58% of all US consumers own a smartphone, and there are over 1.2 billion people accessing the web from their mobile device at any given time. (Internet Trends, 2013). Not only are there more people using mobile phones for web searches, studies show that 64% of smartphone owners are now using their mobile devices to shop online. About 28% of these mobile searches result in an action, whether it means a call, a visit to the store, or even an online purchase (Internet Trends, 2013).

 

So for business owners this means you may want to begin to ready your website for mobile traffic. Depending on the industry you operate your business in, this is especially important. If you operate in an industry where customers are constantly seeking information about you, your products, and your services, you could be at a major loss if your website is not mobile ready.

 

What to keep in mind when making your website mobile

 

When visitors come to your website, you only have a few seconds to engage them, so you better make it a friendly experience. First, consider that visitors are using a small screen, probably less than 4×4 inches. Because of this, ensure that your website has a clean and easy to navigate interface. Stay away from large images that take a long time to load. Chances are, if they can’t find what they are looking for quickly, they will leave and go to the next site. Another thing to consider when making your website mobile-friendly, is the connection speed. Visitors who are trying to access your website and experience slow connection may be deterred.

 

Making your website mobile may not be the easiest thing to do, but it’s sure to pay off. According to tech website Sparkreaction.com, “A mobile website is just a copy of your regular website, where the server does the work to deliver an optimized page that is smaller and easier to navigate, which can create a customized and unique experience for mobile users. A separate mobile site can be just as expensive as a normal website and requires continuous maintenance.”

 

This could seem like a lot of time, effort and money but when you consider that 60% of mobile shoppers use their smartphones while in a store, and another 50% while on their way to a store, it doesn’t seem like too bad of an idea.

 

Smartphones and tablets are no longer a trend, they are a lifestyle and regardless of your industry or size of business, you need to have a user-friendly site that meets prospects wherever they may be.

 

By: Lauren Rockwell, a business writer and works on the marketing staff at Liberty Capital Group, Inc. She writes about the latest business trends and industry conditions, from international economics to small business funding and financing. Her blogs are intended to offer accurate and concise advice to readers.