Question: We just did a pretty expansive web update a couple of years ago and mobile wasn’t a big part of what we did. Doing an overhaul is going to be expensive and we are trying to make our last update last. Do you think we can hold off on mobile or do a small mobile site to get us over the hump?
First off, I’m sorry to hear that a web redesign done just two years ago didn’t incorporate a fully functional mobile version, or more importantly a responsive design that takes into account users on any platform.
Now without knowing your business intimately, it is hard to say emphatically yes or no as to whether or not you can wait to go mobile, but what I will suggest is doing an audit on your traffic and determining the importance of web conversion as part of your business strategy before holding off (Google Analytics offers more than enough data to do this). In short, if you are seeking to convert visitors of your website into customers then it may be best to make sure their mobile experience is not a bad one (or worse non-existent).
Perhaps a few data points will also help you to recognize the value of having a mobile friendly theme.
- In 2014 Mobile Device usage will exceed desktop usage (do I need more stats than this?)
- 3 out of every 5 searches are performed on a mobile device
- Check out 30 more fascinating mobile and mobile marketing stats here.
I recently audited my sites to see the traffic divide between mobile and desktop and I found that my mobile traffic had exceeded to more than 1/3 of my total unique visits each month. This reflected an increase of 40% over just one year ago. This made me further realize that companies must have their sites and content set up to be mobile friendly. Think about it, what would you think of a company whose site site you visit on your iPad or iPhone only to find they have no site or a useless mobile site? It probably wouldn’t increase sentiment. Speaking of which, 71% of mobile consumers expect the mobile experience to be as good (and fast) as the desktop. Something to keep in mind.
For companies spending money on Social and Content to bring customers to their site this is a double whammy because some of the very people you are luring in are being lured to an experience that will poorly represent your brand.
What is your company’s mobile strategy? Does your company make sure that mobile users have an equally as valuable experience as desktop users? It is time to take this seriously!
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Daniel Newman is the co-founder of V3*Broadsuite and is an experienced C-level executive, serving as a strategy consultant for small and mid-sized businesses. He’s also an insight/analyst partner to four Fortune 50 enterprises and previously served as the co-founder and CEO of EC3, a hosted IT and communications services provider. Prior to that, he served as the CEO of United Visual, Inc. in Chicago Illinois.
He is a widely published writer who contributes weekly to Forbes, Entrepreneur, Huffington Post and industry publications such as Commercial Integrator, Sound & Communication and Corporate Tech Decisions. He’s also author of three best-selling business books including The New Rules of Customer Engagement, The Millennial CEO, and just recently Evolve: Marketing (^as we know it) is Doomed.
Daniel has established a reputation as a leading thinker in topics such as Social, Big Data, Cloud and Mobile. He has been named to many top influencer lists in all of these areas, including recognition by the Huffington Post as one of the 100 business and leadership accounts to follow on Twitter. He is also an adjunct professor of management at North Central College.