Firstly, if your website is not mobile-friendly, where on earth have you been? The fact of the matter is that you will be losing sales. Yes, it really is that black and white.
If your website takes more than 3 seconds to load on mobile devices, a huge 57% of users will just abandon your site. Imagine how many potential customers you could be losing out on? It doesn’t bear thinking about! And if you are a small business, you need to be taking extra care to ensure your site is accessible for all potential customers.
Take the time to think about this from a personal level. Yes, lots of high street shops have apps these days, so you don’t even need to go onto their website to make a purchase. But of course, not all of us have the budget for this. How many times have you gone onto a website, to make a purchase, and left after the ‘loading wheel’ just doesn’t seem to be stopping?
And what did you do following that? You went to a close competitor of course. So not only are you losing traffic by not having a mobile-friendly website, you are actively feeding your competitors with easy leads!
If this isn’t enough to sway you, here are my top 10 reasons why you should seriously consider having a mobile-friendly website if you don’t already have one.
1. Mobile users are different
People who are viewing your website on their phone usually want answers there and then. They haven’t got as much time as desktop users. Therefore you need to provide information in quick, digestible bites. By making the journey to a purchase simple, you will make their life easier!
2. Mobile gets traffic
With over 4.9 billion unique mobile users (as recorded in January this year), and a huge 30% increase in the number of people using mobile devices to search the internet, you really need to jump on the bandwagon. And now Google is ranking mobile-optimised websites higher than those that aren’t, you are really putting yourself at a disadvantage if your website isn’t up to scratch.
3. Better brand engagement
It all comes down to user experience. If you provide visitors with an easy to navigate website, with clear call-to-actions, they are much more likely to return. They will engage with your brand, and often encourage others to visit your site too.
4. Increased conversions
Linked in with the clear call-to-actions, think about making your contact information easy to find too. You need to instill trust with the customer from the start. Make your delivery and returns information visible – you want visitors to know that you offer free delivery, or free exchanges. Shout about your USPs and set yourself apart from your competitors.
5. Reduce your bounce rate
Think about optimising your content for mobile devices too, not just your website. Make sure that the typeface you use doesn’t become illegible once it has shrunk down, or that you have add-ons that require flash to run. You need to captivate and engage your audience, giving them the easiest user experience you can.
6. Google prioritises mobile-friendly websites
At the end of the day, Google wants to give its users the very best experience when browsing online. Therefore, if your website isn’t mobile friendly but your competitors is, Google certainly won’t rank you highly. Get the search engines on your side, and you will be a step ahead of the competition from the get-go.
7. People everywhere use mobile
You don’t need me to tell you this. Everywhere you look someone has a mobile phone out. Whether they are on social media, comparing prices before purchasing – mobiles just make things fast, easy and accessible. Display your key USPs and information that your customers will want clearly. They want to find the answer, and they want it now!
8. Reach customers faster
This is tied in with Google prioritising mobile-friendly websites. Think about how much more visible your website will be on search engines if it is ranked higher. Customers will find you quickly and easily. So get upgrading your website!
9. Happy customers!
If visitors to your website have a poor experience, they are likely to become frustrated and go straight to your competitor. However, if a customer has a good experience on your website they are more likely to tell their friends and family, thus generating more interest for your business. They become your very own brand advocates.
Encourage customers who feel passionate about your brand to leave online reviews too. Did you know 92% of people read reviews before making a purchase? It could be the difference between a website visitor choosing your product or service over that of a competitor.
10. Your business will be seen as modern & relevant
An old, dated website quite simply just looks boring. If you don’t keep up with the times online, are potential customers really going to trust that your products or services are up to date?
I hope this has helped give you an insight as to why you really need a mobile-friendly website. If you are still in the golden ages, and would like to upgrade your website, give our expert team a call on 01472 878496 and we can get this booked in for you.