So you’ve got a great website. And it’s great. Really great.
And it’s not enough.
More and more people are choosing mobile phones to access the internet, to shop, search, and more over the bulky, more stationery PC. Your company needs a mobile site design that is easily accessed, loaded, and viewed from these devices with smaller screens and different processing ability.
According to the Human Factor International (HFI), 68% of consumers said that if they knew a business had a “made-for-mobile” version, they would prefer to visit that instead of seeing the standard “desktop” website on a mobile phone.
1. Mobile Web Is Gaining Popularity
According to Experian, 87% of Americans have mobile phones. HFI researchers found that 43% of consumers use their phone’s browser to access the Internet. More and more people are using their mobiles to access the web, and this means more opportunities for mobile retailers. According to the Pew Research Center, 57.8m American consumers access the web via mobile devices on any given day.
2. Keep Up with Competitors
If you don’t have a mobile site and your competitors do, then you are allowing them to establish themselves with mobile customers and gain a head start in a fast growing channel. It’s simple- don’t be left behind.
3. Reach the Big Spenders
According to a recent Essential Research survey on mobile web usage, 42% of mobile internet users earn over $64,000 a year, and spend more on their mobile bills, thusly indicating more cash to spend on goods and services.
4. Low Development Cost
A mobile site doesn’t cost the earth. Really. Depending on the size and complexity, some can be done in as little as 15 hours.
5. Increased Sales
The extra sales channel and exposure to customers shopping on the move means more sales from customers who simply cannot wait until they get home to make a purchase. and familiarity with convenience breeds dependency on such.
6. Bring Customers to Your Physical Store
Multichannel retailers with mobile sites can drive offline sales by providing locator tools, contact details, and reserve and collect services.
7. Appeal to Comparison Shoppers
Some consumers use mobile phones to seek out the best deal while shopping offline, with sites and apps like Reevoo and Sccope offering this service. With a website optimized for handsets you have a better chance of grabbing some of this business.
8. More Phones Browse
The advent of devices like the iPhone makes the mobile web more accessible and usable for consumers, and makes it more likely that they will buy goods using their phones. And analyst firm Gartner recently reported, in 2011, 85% of new handsets sold (excluding smartphones like the iPhone and Android) will be able to access the mobile Web.
9. Mobile Commerce Fits
While most online retail sectors have the potential to sell on mobile, some are especially well-suited as they sell the kinds of products people may need while out and about. Pizza Hut offers a great example of this, and its iPhone app has driven $1m in incremental sales by allowing customers to order pizza on the move
So get moving and shaking and get a mobile sit to grab the business of those that do too!
