Would you be shocked to learn that 55% of online shopping starts via a mobile device? It shouldn’t, the growth of mobile for all types of businesses is exponential and accelerating. Online marketing experts agree that having a solidly mobile-friendly website is one of the best ways to attract and keep new business and gain additional prospects.

1. MOBILE HAS MOVED BEYOND ECOMMERCE

As recently as five years ago, mobile commerce had just a glimmer of the potential that is currently being realized. E-commerce was considered something that was here to stay, but mobile commerce is quickly eclipsing even that stellar rise in popularity. Customers now expect all businesses to have a mobile-ready website and will quickly go elsewhere if the user experience is not up to par with their expectations. Website design strategies have struggled to keep pace with user expectations, with many businesses updating their websites on an annual basis and under pressure to make even more and more expensive updates. Adding a mobile-responsive version of your current website may not be enough; browsers are changing rapidly too, and the divergence away from one standard web browser has negatively impacted the compatibility of technology other than HTML5.

2. SEARCH ENGINE TOOLS MAY OVERLOOK YOU

Not only may customers not be thrilled with your less-than-optimized mobile presence, but Google will give your site a pass in the ever-important rankings as well. Web-crawling robots need something to sink their teeth into when they are browsing the web, and if your site is not mobile-optimized, the ‘bot may decide that your site is not worth displaying due to a real or perceived poor customer experience. Fast loading pages and easy navigation are among some of the core components that Google and other search engines are searching for on your site.

3. DITCH THE DEVICE DEPENDENCY

Mobile websites do not care which platform you are browsing from; they simply work. Mobile apps can be a great option for some businesses but only if the app is adding functionality that could not be delivered easily on a mobile website or that would not present a robust enough experience through a mobile browser. One of the beauties of mobile browsing is that it does not matter if you are on a Windows phone, an iPhone or an Android-based phone—the user experience will be very similar.

4. MOBILE LOCAL SEARCH

Mobile Internet marketing strategies and SEO tips and tools can mean the difference between an indifferent local mobile experience for customers and a fully optimized and robust presence. Assuring that your local search ranking stays intact means that you are one step closer to turning local leads into local sales.

5. OBLITERATE THE COMPETITION

We all know that you are smarter than that other guy or gal. Prove it by creating a cohesive mobile strategy that lets your business shine while keeping the spotlight on the services that you offer—and off any potential customer snafus that occurred while accessing your non-optimized mobile site on a smartphone.

SHAMELESS PLUG TIME

Have you seen some of the websites that people try to pass off as professional these days? We’re talking bad graphics, hard to read layouts and content that sounds like a preschooler wrote it in their sleep. And don’t get us started on businesses that don’t even HAVE a website! Wake up everyone… this is your virtual business card, and having a beautifully curated, well thought-out and continuously updated website is paramount to getting your clients or customers through the door.  But we get it- websites are hard- and techy- and downright intimidating. We don’t expect you to learn code or how to build a website overnight, and neither should you. So put down your Coding For Dummies: 101 and give us a call at 2Ten Marketing, to build you the website of your dreams, without the glitches and DIY website nightmares that would be sure to follow.