Mobile device use is growing at a much faster rate than any of us could have anticipated and it may be your best source to get more business in 2012 and beyond. Unfortunately, many businesses have yet to discover the importance of mobile marketing and making their business mobile friendly. Here are some recent facts that may help you take notice of this quickly expanding market.
In a recent Google survey of mobile users, they found:
- 95% of mobile device users do local business searches.
- 88% of mobile users will use that information to buy within 24 hours.
- 75% of mobile users will contact the business.
- 61% of mobile users will call the business.
- 59% of mobile users will go to the business.
Smartphone users are doing more searches on business names than ever before. The information the users want are business phone numbers, addresses and directions. They are ready to do business as you can see by the information above. Are you ready to do business with them? Is your business mobile friendly?
Google has established guidelines for your website to be mobile friendly. It must load fast, in five seconds or less, since mobile devices are slower loading than computers. Therefore, there should be a few graphics on a mobile website. The mobile website must fit on the screen of a mobile phone without scrolling up and down or side to side and without magnifying the screen. Any links or buttons must be click-able with a thumb. If you are using flash on your website, it will not function with an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch device as Apple devices are not compatible with flash.
If the statistics above are not enough to convince you of the importance of going mobile friendly, sometimes Google's guidelines on mobile friendship will. Google has taken a serious stance on the importance of the mobile market and have informed their intention to penalize websites and pay-per-click advertisers who are not mobile friendly. Not only will you be missing out on nearly half of your potential business by not being mobile friendly, but you will also be penalized in your site rankings and in what your pay-per-click costs you.
We need to recognize a change in habits and incorporated new strategies. Your business strategy for 2012 should be to have a mobile website! Very soon the majority of local consumers will be mobile consumers! In light of the Google survey results listed above, you should ask yourself "How will this interact with mobile consumers?" with all of your marketing efforts.
We have come to the point where being mobile friendly is no longer an option for your business – go mobile, or your competition will thank you for it!