Many business owners do not feel that they need a website, let alone a mobile-responsive site. However, living in the 21st century, people are more dependent on technology and their mobile devices. Incorporating a mobile-responsive website into your business can help you to build a stronger relationship with your customers and clients. It can also help you reach out to new clients and increase sales.
A mobile-responsive website is a great way to become more competitive in your business. It can help you stand out. You may even be able to convince Google to help you gain more customers. Having a mobile-responsive website means also means saving money in your business expenses.
1. Everybody's Doing It
The latest data shows that 64% of small businesses have a website. Eighty-one percent of these websites are mobile-friendly. Of the ones that do not have a website, 58% of them plan on building one. These businesses realize the advantage of having a website. Nowadays, most people spend a large chunk of their day on their smartphones. By not having a mobile-responsive website, businesses are missing out on a whole demographic of people.
Although some businesses cite money and the fact that they do not think they need a website as reasons for not having one, 42% of businesses fail because their product does not have a market. Marketing your product and/or service is an important part of a business. Most people have a smartphone, so having a mobile-friendly website is going to give your business a real advantage.
2. More Customers Than Ever Are on Mobile
The average person spends more than four hours on his or her phone each day. That is a quarter of his or her waking hours. When comparing mobile and desktop, mobile devices make up 58% of website visits. Forty-two percent of the time spent online is from mobile devices. These numbers are constantly rising. In order for a company to succeed, it has to keep up with these trends or get lost in the dust.
3. Customer Communication Has Changed
Phone and email are an important part of communication. Customers need to be able to communicate with businesses. Fourteen percent of businesses fail because customers were ignored. The benefit of email is a customer can write down his or her concerns and reread them. Customers have time to think about what they want to communicate to the business. This is also a great way to keep track of communication. However, email can lead to miscommunication, and it is a slower form of communication. Phone calls are great because they are faster than email, and the business end can ask clarifying questions. However, there is no way to keep track of the communication because, in many cases, recording phone calls is illegal.
Many businesses are starting to transition to chat and text. Chat is great because it is faster than email. The customer is getting an immediate response. Although miscommunication can happen during a chat, clarifying questions can be asked on the business end. Also, it is possible for both the client and business to keep track of communication for later reference. SMS is a great way to communicate with customers. You can use it for marketing too. Sending messages with coupons or contests is a great way to help your business. You can also use it for alerts. Informing customers about services or issues with their account is a good way to build a relationship with them.
Less than half of businesses are equipped to use SMS to capture leads and manage customer relationships. If you have an in-house developer or you are a developer, you can build your own chat. However, most business owners are not that tech-savvy. There are a number of third-party options that can help you to implement chat and SMS into your business.
4. Get More Eyes on Your Website
If you already have a website, you need to make sure it is mobile-responsive. A responsive website leads to increased search engine optimization (SEO). Basically, that means your website will be more visible and you will have an increase in traffic to your site. You want your website to be at the top of a search engine's list because people usually click on the first three links.
Most people view websites from their mobile devices. In fact, 60% of searches are from a mobile device. So, if your website is difficult to navigate, viewers will quickly leave it. The more time a person spends on your site, the higher your website will be valued on a search engine. So, you should make sure the website is attractive and useful to visitors. Websites that load quickly also have a higher ranking on search engines. Mobile-responsive websites usually load faster.
5. You Can Save Money
For a long time, many businesses had two websites. They had one for mobile devices and one for desktop users. Doing this means losing money since you have to pay for the maintenance of two websites. It also lowers your SEO rating on search engines, so you are paying double for less value.
Having one responsive website is easier to manage. Creating a website that adapts to screen size is a much cleaner way of doing things. So, when the website is at phone size, the website will have less information with smaller images. When the screen size is bigger, it will display more information and larger images.
6. Stay Competitive
When a business has a website, it has to consider the needs of its client. Many industries have a lot of competition. A business has to be one step ahead of its competitors. If your website is difficult to navigate, your potential client may end up going to the competition.
A user who has a pleasant experience with your website is 67% more likely to purchase something from your business. Go with a developer who can make your website attractive and easy to navigate.
7. Future-Proof Your Website
Responsive websites adapt to screen size. So, if there is a new device in the future that becomes widely popular, your website will work and look attractive on that new device. Responsive design is not going anywhere. Make sure your website is keeping up with this template.
Choosing a web developer who knows and follows the latest trends is a great way to have a long-lasting website. Many of the trends that exist today are going to be around for another five to 10 years. The concept of responsive design has existed for over a decade, and it is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Having a responsive website is important for your business. A mobile-responsive site means being recommended by Google. If you really want to take your business to the next level, work with us to create a mobile-responsive website that blows the competition out of the water.
