The last couple years have seen a quiet revolution in the way that people communicate and access the Internet. More and more people are “going mobile” today, and so should your business. The business world has been slow to realize the importance of mobile, and now is the time to embrace it with a mobile web site. This is a rising tide and you can either be riding the wave, or get trapped in the undertow.
1. Market penetration for mobile internet devices is huge, and still growing.
Smartphone penetration has increased at an astounding rate, both in the US and worldwide.It's believed that over eighty-five percent of mobile phones sold in the US and Europe this year will be able to access the Internet. Globally, more than 1.2 billion people are mobile web-surfers. Tablets too have finally caught on with consumers, with approximately 55 million coming into use in the US during 2012 – that's a 17% market penetration, and it's only going to grow.
That's a lot of customers searching for you from mobile devices, and if you don't have a mobile website they can view, they'll just find a competitor who can.
2. People are using mobile devices to find you, even locally.
According to a Google survey, 65% of mobile users said they have used their mobile devices to find physical stores to make an in-store purchase. This isn't just about you making online sales – a mobile website helps direct people to your front door.
Further, over 50% of holiday shoppers used their mobile devices to research products and redeem coupons. If they aren't visiting your website, they're visiting someone else's. You need to capture that traffic.
3. Mobile shopping is on the rise as well.
Between 45% and 67% of consumers (see link above) intended to use their mobile devices to make purchases this past holiday season.
Also, a stunt Amazon pulled recently showed how much influence mobile shopping now has on consumer behavior. By offering a 5% discount to anyone who used Amazon's app to scan a barcode in-store, they turned traditional stores into their own sales floor. In that sort of business climate, you need a mobile website to be able to compete against online-only shops.
4. Mobile websites are cheaper than the alternatives.
One of the best aspects of a mobile website is that it's cheaper than a traditional website. Because mobile sites are streamlined to be simplified and low-bandwidth, that means you don't have to pay for fancy Flash elements or large, complex graphics. Also, mobile sites are straightforward and to-the-point, which m easier to get your message across to your customers.
5. Mobile websites go hand-in-hand with your social marketing strategies.
One cannot understate the influence that social networking websites are having on businesses. Today's Internet-empowered consumers rely on their network of friends when making decisions. Any Internet marketing strategist will tell you that you need to be courting social sites in your marketing.
Having a mobile site that links straight into Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and all the other influential websites provides a huge boost to those efforts. The easier it is for people to blog about you, the more your message will spread.
In short, 2012 may be the year that mobile became the driving force in online business. There's no stopping this particular bandwagon – the advantages of mobile to the consumer are too overwhelming to be fought. NOW truly is the time to embrace a mobile website and mobile marketing if you haven't already, so that you are ready for the coming year.