Consumer Survey: If Your Website Looks Bad on My Phone, I Ain’t Buyin’
The economic recovery is definitely a slow one. Many people are still worried about losing their jobs. Millions of homeowners owe more on their mortgage loans than what their residences are worth. Credit-card debt continues to weigh down U.S. households. These are definitely challenging times for people. As a small business owner, you don’t want to let them have any more reasons to not purchase your products or services. However, many business owners do just that when it comes to their websites. They’re operating sites that do not work well on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. As more consumers use their mobile devices to find local info (according to Google, 1 in 3 searches are local) local businesses are still running antiquated sites that look like crap (let’s be honest) on smartphones and tablets.
Losing customers one click at a time
At first blush, this may look like a small problem. It’s not, unfortunately. As the folks at MarketingVOX recently outlined, there are very real financial penalties for having a mobile-unfriendly website. As a growing number of consumers use mobile devices to access the web, the penalties are getting stiffer. In a recent post, MarketingVOX pointed out research from Google showing that:
- A majority—61 percent—of consumers say that they’ll leave a website if it’s not optimized for small touch screens.
- A whopping 96 percent of consumers say they’ve had bad experiences on websites that were not designed for non-desktop screens.
- 50 percent of respondents said that even if they liked a business, they’d be less inclined to buy in the future if the business’s website isn’t mobile friendly.
Those are startling statistics. Here’s the silver lining: Nearly 75 percent claim that they’re more likely to go back to a mobile-friendly website. So your mission is clear…
Your challenge
What kind of mobile experience are you offering for your prospects and customers? If it’s bad, the research from Google is unequivocal: you’re losing customers. If it’s a good experience, you’re probably taking them away from your competitors. It’s easy to see why mobile website optimization is important. Take a look around you. The chances are good you’ll see someone hunched over a mobile device, swiping away at their iPhone, Android tablet or Kindle e-reader. This isn’t a passing fad. The truth is, a recent report from Morgan Stanley projects that web surfing on mobile devices will outpace web browsing on personal computers within the next year. And according to a joint Google/Ipsos study, after consumers search for a business via mobile, 61% say they make a phone call and 59% say they will navigate to the business! Can you guess which businesses are more likely to hear the phone ring? Yes, those with mobile-ready websites. If you have a smartphone, here’s your homework: pull up your website using your mobile web browser. If your site looks cramped or illegible, you know what you need to do: fix it. Get help if you need it! Otherwise, you’re in danger of losing what every business depends on. Paying customers.
