Have you ever found yourself asking “Do I need a mobile friendly website?”
Or have you ever visited a website before on your mobile and thought, I can’t use this website on my phone, I’ll return to the Google results and try a different website.
Well, if you’re thinking this, then your potential customers are probably thinking the same thing too.
In a world where mobile usage is the norm, you must have a mobile friendly website. Smartphones and tablets are fast becoming the preferred method of choice to access the internet.
Even Google themselves have declared mobile friendly, responsive design as being “best practice”, so it’s time to stop with the should, and say your website must be mobile friendly. Here’s why.
1) Being Mobile Friendly Makes Sense –
It makes sense to have a mobile friendly website.
Despite the high numbers of people using mobile for web browsing, some businesses still refuse to make their website mobile friendly or at least provide something for mobile users, eg: an app.
Just for a second, let’s flip the scenario on its head and imagine the idea of a website which isn’t usable on desktop devices “desktop friendly” if you will.
Despite desktop usage share falling quite dramatically over the past couple of years, most people would find that a website that didn’t work on desktop absolutely absurd.
The same should be thought about none mobile friendly websites.
2) Potential Loss Of Traffic –
Towards the end of 2014, Google gave one of their clearest signals yet that mobile friendly is key as they introduced the “Mobile Friendly” tag to their mobile search results, showing which websites are set up to be usable on mobile and which ones are not.
Put yourself in the customers shoes, you’re on your phone looking for a product, service or piece of information. You type in the search query on Google and press enter.
You’re then confronted with a list of 10 organic results, are you going to click on the ones where Google is assuring you that it will be usable on your mobile phone or the one where you’re probably going to have to pinch, zoom and probably won’t load properly? Lack of mobile friendly tag could lead to a big reduction in click-through rate, and therefore a big reduction in traffic to your website.
The lack of a mobile-friendly tag could potentially lead to click-through rates falling, and therefore a big reduction in traffic to your website.
3) Potential Loss Of Sales –
If traffic is beginning to drop because people don’t want to click through to your website, it’s more than likely going to mean a drop in conversions too.
This means fewer people signing up to your newsletter, sending you an enquiry or purchasing a product from your website, meaning you have less success and possibly lose money.
4) You Could Find It Hard To Rank –
Last year saw the clearest indications yet that Google will take mobile friendliness into account at least partially when ranking websites with the introduction of the mobile friendly algorithm.
In April 2016, Google began warning website owners their website is not mobile friendly.
This is where the doubters say that there is no specific “penalty” for lack of mobile friendliness, and at this moment in time, this is true.
But for how long?
If Google’s algorithm does favour websites that are mobile friendly, then common sense states that as someone goes up others have to go down, and unfortunately, if you’re not mobile friendly, then it is your website which is going to be going down.
5) Greater Call Conversions –
Most businesses that are online are enquiry based, they present the information and selling points to the user, in the hope of convincing them to go and fetch their phone and call them.
Well, what about if they don’t have to go fetch a phone and type in a number, what if the number is already there ready to press and make the call automatically?
A mobile friendly website allows users to do just that.
By giving your website a click to call button at the top of your web page makes it much easier for someone to get in touch with you.
Around 70% of smartphone users think a call button is important, and around 61% of mobile searches result in a phone call.
Then once they’re on to a human the odds of them converting into a customer are much higher than if, for example, they have filled out a contact form, where they have to wait potentially days for a reply…a reply which they can miss or ignore.
6) Mobile Search Is Local Search –
Did you know, more than 50% of mobile searches are for local services?
Not only that, 80% if local searches on mobile phones convert to a sales or lead and 78% of local mobile searches result in offline purchases.
These stats prove local searchers are more often than not with commercial intent to convert very quickly or in the near future. For example, if you need a service such as a local plumber there’s a good chance you need that service very quickly or someone who is shopping in a city centre and is looking for a place nearby where they can – for example – have dinner, or purchase a product.
This is a major thing to think about for business owners who do not have a mobile-friendly website, as not only are you missing out on the business, but as it is local, the likelihood is that the searches, dismayed at your poor website, will simply turn to one of your competitors, giving them a boost over you.
Can your business afford to turn potential customers away?
7) None Friendly Websites Frustrate People –
The customer is always right…
Your customers expect a mobile-friendly website, make sure you’re giving it them what they want.
Simply put, people wants things quickly. They want it now, not in 10 minutes time.
If a potential customer comes to your website and it’s slow, buggy and impossible to use, they will simply get frustrated and angry, and that is not the sort of Mobile friendliness is almost expected from professional businesses like yours.
If you’re giving your customers a terrible user experience, they will simply leave your website and go to your competitor.
If you have any more questions about mobile friendly websites, and how yours can be made mobile friendly, then please do not hesitate to get in touch with the dijitul team today, and we look forward to reading any comments you may have.