The Importance of Mobile Website Optimization
Having a smartphone friendly website is a major consideration for all types of companies. It’s the major marketing decision of 2012 as mobile Internet use continues to skyrocket. To shed some light on just how important mobile website optimization has become, below are five noteworthy statistics to absorb:
In 2012, 94% of smartphones users will be also be mobile Internet users- 20% of all adult smartphone users have used their mobile phone to buy something
- 4 out of 10 smartphone users compare the prices of products in the same category using their phone while in a store
- In 2012, the number of Smartphone shoppers will reach 68.6 million in 2012
- Over 200 million people across the world access Facebook through their mobile phones
Statistics gathered by US Digital Media Usage and Nielsen
Developing a Mobile Marketing Strategy
Before you jump at the gun and announce the need for a mobile website for your company, take the time to determine the central purpose of having a smartphone friendly website. Assess the primary marketing functions of your mobile site and develop a strategy. Common ideas may include:
- Featuring promotions and coupons that target the immediacy of mobile website traffic
- Offering a custom mobile application for visitors to interact and engage with
- Streamlining sales by presenting products and online shopping capabilities
- Optimizing and/or advertising your web presence for more mobile search engine traffic
Gathering these insights and developing a mobile marketing strategy before you take action can help plan the direction and focus of the project. This ‘incubation’ or brainstorming phase will help to ensure your budget is invested in the right mobile elements.
Do You Need a Smartphone Friendly Site?
Some websites function just fine on smartphones without needing any optimization tweaks or adjustments. However a majority of these sites are pretty simple web designs and include minimal graphics and page structures. For ecommerce stores or deep websites with graphic intensives pages, smartphone visibility may be a bit less clear.
Determining whether or not your company should pursue mobile website optimization takes a bit of research and analysis. In short, you need to know both the nature of your business and the nature of your customers. An ecommerce website will usually require an extensive overhaul of many new mobile friendly webpages, whereas a small business website may only need a few pages enhanced.
Often times you can find a happy medium with your mobile optimization efforts. For instance, you can build a .mobi version of your website to only include the core pages that mean the most to you business and its customers. For local companies that offer a few select services, this can offer the best bang for the buck.
The Pursuit of Mobile Website Optimization
Fortunately, mobile optimization has become an integral service for most website optimization companies. This has made the cost of mobile websites much more affordable. Most providers can develop a mobile friendly site to include the core essentials. On the other end of the spectrum, some website optimization companies can refurbish your mobile web presence with custom apps and other interactive features. The choice depends on what your business needs and how much you are willing to spend.
This article written by Tyler Tafelsky, one of our SEO & Website Optimization Specialists here at Web Presence Group.
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