There is no doubt that the mobile-age of the Internet is upon us, with a growing number of individuals accessing the web on their smart phones and tablets. It is virtually impossible for companies not to have a mobile-friendly website … or is it? Surprisingly, data reveal that across the world businesses are being much slower in the uptake of mobile websites than the development of mobile internet is demanding. Even some of the big players have not gone mobile friendly yet.

So, why should you buy a mobile-friendly site?

This graph illustrates the projection for global Internet use on Mobiles Devices Vs Standard Computer systems – Desktop / Laptops. According to this information mobile internet use is expected to surpass conventional desktop and laptop Internet use by 2014. An additional important fact to consider is that 50% of local business searches are already performed on mobile gadgets.

Other key points to consider

• There are currently 4 billion cell phones in use worldwide
• 1.08 billion of these are smart phones
• 50% of local business searches are carried out on mobile gadgets
• 86% of mobile Web users are using their devices while watching TELEVISION
• A third of Facebook’s 700 million users are utilising Facebook Mobile
• Half of twitter’s 175 million account holders are making use of Twitter Mobile

Taking a look at these data it is really surprising how many sites are not yet mobile-friendly. In cases where businesses have actually accepted the mobile web (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, and so on) a (often significant) rise in mobile web traffic has been experienced.

What does your website look like on a smartphone?

Are your competitors already on the ball?

Enter the address of your website into the box below then click “Show Me!” to see how it currently looks on a smartphone. Or maybe check out a competitor’s website to see if they’re already ahead of the curve…

Show Me!

Exactly what is a mobile friendly internet site?

Being mobile-friendly does not just mean that your website can be viewed on mobile gadgets. A mobile-friendly website ought to be made specifically for smaller screens, enabling simple navigation via larger touch-screen buttons, and in some cases only show pertinent information and content for the individuals’ requirements.

Simplicity, significance and convenience of navigation are essential. Visitors accessing internet sites utilising mobile devices do not wish to invest a very long time trying to find exactly what they need. If the experience the individual has is quick and easy, and if it’s even much easier than accessing the site by means of their computer system, they will utilise this method repeatedly.

Do not follow, blaze a trail!

There has been substantial research carried out into exactly what portion of internet sites are mobile-friendly, with differing results due to varying interpretations. Outcomes reveal that in between 2% and 10% of websites have been particularly designed with mobile visitors in mind, and these portions tends to dwindle as you move far from the leading name websites.

So what does this mean for your company?

Well it is nearly a certainty that most of your competitors do not have a mobile-friendly site, which offers you a chance to get one step ahead of them.

Bounce rates for websites that are not mobile-friendly are frequently between 85 and 90%, which suggests an instant loss in potential customers of in between 10 and 25%!

To discover particularly how this will impact you, take a look at your Google Analytics information to find out how many visitors are seeing your site on mobile devices, and their behaviour when they are on your site.

Do not wait till your rivals have become mobile-savvy to include mobile into your online marketing, blaze a trail. It will probably cause a surge in web traffic and even more sales for your company. It will also help your business to attract attention as an inventor within your market, instead of another also-ran.