Mobile friendly websites: A modern-day staple

Mobile friendly websites: A modern-day staple

Consider, for a moment, the sheer number of people who now own a mobile phone with which they can browse the web. As well as helping Kevin Bacon out with his bills, the advent and onset of 4G with EE and the other networks has meant getting online on your phone has never been easier.

Now think about the number of businesses that don’t have a mobile-friendly website, or at the very least a version of it. Quite simply, it doesn’t make any sense.

Last year, mobile traffic accounted for 10 per cent of internet use around the globe. Numerous predications have been made that 2014 will see more people using mobile phones to access the internet than PC’s.

If that seems unfathomable, it makes much more sense when you realise just how free and flexible mobile browsing is. As well as 3G and 4G connections, WiFi hotspots are just about everywhere these days.

Providing you have a suitably advanced phone, it is a rare situation where you find yourself unable to partake in mobile browsing.

This has been an oversight on behalf of numerous businesses for some time. All too often, users – and potential customers – are left frustrated by disjointed content, slow loading times and clunky navigation.

The same customers are far more likely to find their desired product on a rival, mobile-friendly, website as opposed to waiting to browse yours on a PC or laptop.

Furthermore, consistently bad experiences for customers accessing your site via a mobile phone can cause serious damage to the reputation and standing of your company. Frustrated customers are unlikely to return. In business, first impressions count for an awful lot.

People talk, and a disgruntled mouth is far more likely to share their experience verbally than someone who made a hassle-free transaction. In the modern world, seamless operation is expected as standard and anything that dips below that line stands out.

OK, hopefully that should be enough to convince you that a website primed for mobile use is the next step in your business venture. If not, then the opportunity to steal a march on the competition should seal the deal.

As of now, 65 per cent of businesses do not have mobile-optimised sites. This leaves a gaping hole in the market just waiting, begging, to be filled by those sharp enough to witness the benefits.

How does the idea of irritated customers leaving your competitors in their droves, only to be welcomed into the soothing arms of your easy-to-navigate website sound? Profitable? We’d say so.

Not only does a mobile-friendly site offer great customer service, it also serves as a clear demonstration that, as a business, you are both aware and understanding of the needs of your customers and the world around you.

Sticking with a format suitable for larger screens only demonstrates either an unwillingness or inability to adapt to the changing landscape and will cost you custom.

Now it’s time to consider the website itself. When it comes to mobile browsing, simple functionality has never been more important. A whopping 97 per cent of mobile shopping carts are abandoned and left un-bought because of distraction and frustration caused by needless additional elements and multiple screens in the cart.

Your mobile site is a vitally important part of your business to get right. Remember, customers are unlikely to revisit a site which provided a negative experience so it’s important to be successful from the start.

If you are unsure about any element of your mobile site, it’s best to seek and employ expert help to ensure successful delivery.