Time To Go Mobile

Make Money Blogging

For many businesses who were late on arrival to the Internet party, it seems like a cruel joke. Now that they finally have a polished website that is optimized for search traffic, they need to re-optimize it…for mobile devices? Unfortunately, that is very much the case, and those who don’t ante up will be just as in the dark as current businesses without any online presence.

Trending towards mobile

The numbers don’t lie. By 2015, over half of Internet users worldwide will be utilizing mobile devices. A study by the International Advertising Bureau recently concluded that 61% of web surfers steer clear of sites that don’t display well on their mobile devices. This trend is expected to accelerate, and does not bode well for the 57% (and growing) of businesses whose desktop sites fall apart at the seams when loaded on smartphone browsers.

Customers who are well-versed in e-commerce are looking for easy-to-navigate mobile browsing experiences that easily integrate image galleries, shopping carts, and login screens. Savvy surfers read all the current web hosting reviews and simply don’t trust their financial information to a seemingly insecure site. More than that, who wants the headache of a mobile site that isn’t optimized for a fluid customer experience?

Location-based networks

There are other reasons to go mobile as well. Social media is trending in this direction. Place-based messaging networks like Foursquare and Gowalla are wonderful marketing tools for small businesses and are based primarily on connecting mobile customers to suitable destinations. Creating a versatile, sleek mobile presence will put you on the radar and allow you to tap into this rapidly growing market.

Reach the full market

Moreover, by not optimizing your business website for mobile devices you’re essentially shuttering your doors to over half of the potential customers you could be bringing in. This is like intercepting one out of every two people who come looking for your products and services and telling them to go to one of your competitors instead. Clearly, a business that operates this way won’t last long.

The best steps for a web-savvy small business are to 1) create a robust online presence 2) give that presence an equally robust mobile component and 3) become active in social media in order to better connect with customers. This could include everything from simply making a fan page on Facebook to actively using Pinterest and Instagram to shape your brand image and create meaningful relationships with consumers. Virtually all social media networks have mobile versions that are great tools for posting deals, discounts, services, and promotions for on-the-go customers.

Part of successfully running a small business is investing in your own infrastructure. If you’re aware of the importance of an online presence you should be equally aware of the importance of a mobile online presence. In the near future the majority of Internet traffic will stem from mobile devices like pads and smartphones. Optimize yourself for this wave of traffic now so you can reap the rewards later.

Time To Go Mobile is a post from: Technshare