11 Reasons Why Your Website Should be Mobile Friendly

11 Reasons Why Your Website Should be Mobile Friendly

Why Now Is The Time To Get A Responsive Website

With the increased adoption of mobile devices, it is essential to have a website that is mobile friendly. When asked, many business owners who have a separate mobile website believe they have a mobile-responsive website; however, there is a difference between a mobile website and a mobile-responsive website.

The Difference Between A Responsive Website & Mobile Website
There are two approaches to launching a website that can be viewed on mobile, a responsive website, and a stand-alone mobile website. With a mobile responsive website, you only have one website that includes the necessary code to adapt to all screen sizes, regardless of device. A mobile website, on the other hand, is a completely separate website that requires you to have a second, mobile-only subdomain.

 

11 Reasons To Get A Mobile Responsive Design

 

1. Mobile Adaptability

Mobile usage is increasing every month. According to Marketpath, 58% of Americans own a smartphone. Surprisingly, there are more smartphones on planet Earth than there are people, and the number of smartphones in the U.S. and the world is increasing every month. This means the number of people accessing your website from a mobile device each month will more than likely increase month-to-month.

Just think. If consumers have a horrible experience when viewing your website from a mobile device, the chances of them returning are slim to none. This could result in lower sales and an overall poor opinion of your brand. In fact, according to HubSpot, 61% of customers have a better opinion of a brand when they have a positive mobile experience.

 

2. Mobile Usage On The Rise

Just as the number of smartphones is increasing, so is mobile website traffic. Marketpath advises that nearly 60% of all website traffic comes from mobile devices. Here are some additional surprising statistics, according to HubSpot:

• 20% of all Google searches are conducted on a smartphone
• 28.85% of all emails are opened on smartphones, and 10.16% are opened on tablets.
• 25% of Internet users in America only access the Internet via a mobile device.

Given these stats on mobile Internet use, it is easy to see why having a mobile responsive website should be on the top of your priority list.

 

3. Seamless Experience

Perhaps one of the best aspects of a mobile responsive website from a customer perspective is the seamless experience regardless of the device used. A mobile responsible website will appear the same on a smartphone as it does on a desktop computer or a tablet. A seamless experience can greatly reduce customer frustration.

 

4. Mobile Shopping On The Rise

You do not have to look much further than Black Friday statistics to see the trend that mobile shopping is on the rise. According to Fortune Online, nearly 10 million more Americans shopped online in 2016 than in stores over Black Friday Weekend. The number of online shoppers during the holiday season is likely to increase even more this year.

The trend of online shopping goes beyond the holidays. Nearly every month you hear about major retailer closing stores around the U.S. The lack of in-store purchases plays a major role in this. In fact, according to Marketpath, 80% of consumers admit to regularly shopping online with a smartphone.

 

5. Better SEO

Mobile responsive websites are also better for SEO purposes. Google has announced that it prefers mobile responsive website design to mobile websites. Simply explained, having one URL makes it easier for Google bots to crawl a site.

In addition, mobile responsive designs provide a better user experience for website visitors. Google is all about creating a positive experience for users, so it is easy to see why they rank mobile-responsive websites higher than mobile websites. Google is actually starting to penalize websites that are not mobile-friendly. More on Google and mobile responsive sites can be found here.

 

6. Increased Speed

Google PageSpeed Developers recommend that website content above the fold on a mobile device should load in under one second, and the entire page should load in under two seconds. This is essentially impossible when loading an entire desktop website on a mobile device. If a user has to wait too long for a website to load, he or she will likely leave.

There are numerous tools available online to help you check your website’s speed. The best one is Google’s PageSpeed Insight tool. This tool will provide you with a score out of 100, along with optimizations you can make to improve your website’s speed.

 

7. Adapts To Future Devices

One of the biggest advantages to a mobile responsive website is the fact that the size of the website is designed based on screen size, not the device. This includes devices of the future. As new devices come out, a mobile responsive website will still look beautiful on them.

 

8. Customers Expect It

Customers expect to have a seamless and quick experience on mobile devices. Corporations with a mobile responsive website have set customer expectations, and if you do not meet these expectations, a customer will find one of your competitors that does. Having a mobile responsive website is no longer an option; it is a necessity if you wish to stay relevant in the eyes of the consumer.

 

9. You Lose Business Without One

According to Google Think Insights, a website user who lands on a mobile website and does not find what they are looking for are 61% more likely to leave immediately and go to another website. On the other hand, if a mobile visitor has a positive experience with your website on a mobile device, they are 67% more likely to buy a product of service.

Given this research, it is easy to see how you could essentially be handing customers to your competition by not having a mobile responsive design.

 

10. Social Media Increases Mobile Visitors

Did you know that social media use increases website visits? Marketpath advises that 55% of social media use is now done on a mobile device. Sharing links on social media to your website will result in more traffic and viewing of your website from mobile devices. Thus, it is essential to provide social media users who click through to your website with a great experience.

 

11. Easier To Manage One Site

Having a stand-alone mobile website was common practice before the creation of mobile responsive websites. Having multiple websites means more website maintenance. A mobile responsive website allows you to have just one website, making website maintenance a much easier task. Plus it keeps your costs much lower.

 

What Does This All Mean?

Bottom line, you need a mobile responsive website. Not having a website that is mobile friendly is a major business risk that is completely avoidable. Your website could be the future of your business. You do not want to jeopardize your company’s future by not putting forth the effort now to ensure a positive customer experience.