Mobile Friendly - Why your website has to be!

17th Dec. 2015

Reports suggest that mobile web is growing at a rate 8 times faster than the internet did, and figures show that searches made via smartphone and tablet are more likely to result in a purchase than those made via PC. Mobile is undoubtedly a hot trend, and yet despite this, and despite research indicating that 93 percent of smartphone users browse the web every single day, many small to medium sized businesses are failing to take advantage of this opportunity to reach a larger audience, promote themselves to people ‘on the go’, and boost sales and reputation.

Businesses Losing out to Internet Savvy Competitors

Shockingly, only 1 in 10 UK businesses has a website that’s optimised for tablets, and, as a nation, we’re demanding more. Nearly three quarters of consumers want to see more mobile-friendly websites, and by shying away from the trend, many businesses are losing customers.

Businesses are losing customers through two distinct avenues. Firstly, they’re failing to engage with modern demographics by ignoring consumer preferences. 48 percent of consumers feel ‘frustrated’ and ‘annoyed’ when a website isn’t optimised for mobile, according to Google, lowering brand reputation and encouraging customers to look elsewhere. Secondly, businesses are seeing a reduction in consumer loyalty. Around half claim that they won’t use a website that isn’t optimised for mobile, even if they like the brand. This shows that a marketing strategy can struggle without the support of a mobile-friendly website.

The good news is that more businesses are now beginning to understand the importance of mobile. With reports that nearly half of all email is now opened via a mobile device, we’re seeing a sharp rise in budget allocations for mobile marketing. Mobile now accounts for 23 percent of digital ad spending in the UK, and this is expected to continue growing as the effects of mobile become more clear, more understood, and more accepted.