Mobile web has been in our lives and on the increase for a few years now, but 2014 is the year that you simply have to embrace it.
Our mobile phones keep us connected, help us do research, entertain us and (literally) show us which way to go. We are glued to our phones and our tablets, and that’s not going to change any time soon.
Many business websites still don’t really work on mobile and tablet, but gone are the days when a mobile site was a ‘nice to have’; it’s now a necessity.
Last summer we told you that “Bristol websites are going mobile” – along with the rest of the country. There are loads of stats out there with very different numbers, but they all bank on mobile and tablet use going up. Here are just a few that we found:
- This year (2014) “every other person living in the British Isles will be using one (a smartphone) as the percentage rises to 53.4″ of the population. (Trusted Reviews).
- Statistics from our own SEO customers show that more and more people are viewing our clients’ sites on mobile and tablet.
- In fact, the Intelligent Positioning Blog reckons that by mid 2014 mobile and tablet traffic will overtake desktop traffic.
While statistics on mobile and tablet usage are really useful, they still don’t tell the whole story. Last week the Guardian reported that “being mobile-friendly is a key part of good customer service“. Quoting Google’s director of mobile and social advertising sales, Ian Carrington, they wrote. “most retailers attribute very little value to mobile technology, unless it is the channel that is used to make a purchase, and this is despite the important role that mobiles often play in the sales ‘journey’.”
So even if people aren’t making a purchase via mobile, they are probably still sitting on the train, browsing for the perfect thing to buy or the perfect company to call later.
Despite all this EPiServer reports that 80% of UK companies are still ignoring the mobile revolution, and these businesses are missing a real opportunity to get ahead of the competition.
Mobile or Responsive?
When it comes to mobile and tablets the first decision to make is whether to have two separate versions of your site; one for desktop computers and one for mobile devices, or to have one ‘responsive’ website, that detects what type of device is being used and displays the site accordingly.
We recommend implementing a responsive design. A responsive website essentially keeps your content the same but renders it appropriately depending on the device and the orientation. For example the site will look different on your phone depending on whether you’re holding it portrait or landscape; the content and design adapt according to the device.
To check and see whether a site is responsive, resize the window on your desktop browser by dragging the bottom right corner towards the left hand corner so that you have the dimensions of a mobile phone.
We made this video to demonstrate how to check how responsive a website is… alternatively you could just load the site in question on your smart phone!
Why should you go responsive?
Here are five really good reasons:
- Google loves it! Google have confirmed that websites performing poorly on mobiles will be affected in their search rankings and there are rumours that they are going to start differentiating their search results for mobile.
- Competition: You may not be responsive yet, but are your competitors? Don’t let potential customers be driven into the arms of the competition!
- Compatibility: Making your website responsive will ensure that it adapts to any device and gives your users the best experience possible.
- Conversion: With a responsive website ready to be browsed on mobile you can take advantage of ‘click-to-call’ and apps like Google Maps that help your customers find you.
- One website; one approach: Using a responsive solution you can make sure that your business and your brand are presented consistently, regardless of how your next potential customer found you.
So there it is – if you want to be ahead of the curve then 2014 is the year to invest in a responsive business website.
If you have any questions or if you’d like to talk through your options, please get in touch.
