Hope this fact has not come as a shock to you because mobile dominance on internet has been there for long and many companies worldwide either have launched massive campaign to move their users to mobile devices or completely shift to Mobile only model. Such is the power of mobile these days. So it is very important that your website caters to all these millennials mobile users.

 

Given below is the latest news from Google itself - World’s foremost search provider.

 

“Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices.”

 

The rapid adoption of smart phones and tablets represents an unprecedented transformation in the way consumers access the web and other digital services. This “mobile shift” poses fundamental challenges for virtually every business, and above statement by Google is good case in point that “fixed” websites are in radical decline, and that successful businessman must adopt a “mobile first” approach and prioritize the user experience on mobile devices.

One important thing to understand here is that the transition from a PC or notebook to the ‘always on’ smart phone or tablet is not primarily about the smaller, more portable, mobile device. It is rather about the fact that computing services are now available virtually wherever and whenever the user desires them. The mobile shift marks an evolutionary leap to the era of ubiquitous computing.

 

Mobile Device adoption –A Game Changer

Just when you think you’ve become accustomed to the rapid pace of change in the digital age, along comes another incomprehensible growth rate. How’s this for acceleration: Zero to two billion in under a decade (1). According to BI Intelligence, smartphone sales will reach about 1.5 million in 2016, less than nine years after the introduction of Apple’s iPhone in mid-2007 (2).  To that you can add approximately 500 million tablet computers, plus all of the devices purchased previously and still in use. In short, within 3 years there will easily be over two billion smart mobile devices in the hands of consumers and employees worldwide.

 

In addition, Flurry Analytics’ report concluded that the adoption of devices using Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating system have exceeded that of any consumer technology in history, with adoption rates 10X that of personal computers in the 1980s and 3x that of the recent social web.

 

Even in the midst of worldwide economic turmoil, there are clear signs that businesses as well as governments are responding to the profound transformation in customer and constituent relations that accompany the mobile shift.

In an exhaustive worldwide analysis of mobile trends and spending, Tata Consulting (TCS) found that the percentage of interactions with customers (across sales, marketing, and customer service) using mobile devices ranged from 22% in North America to an astonishing 48% in Asia Pacific (3). (Europe and Latin America registered 28% and 42%, respectively.) And one can assume that such mobile interactions have exploded from very low levels prior to the availability of smart phones in 2007 and tablets in 2010.

 

TCS found that the average company across the four global regions planned to spend between $13 million and $22 million in 2012 to be “mobile consumer ready” – including the development of apps (dedicated mobile apps or mobile optimized websites) for consumers, sales teams, and customer service. Predictably, all companies in the study plan for significantly increased app development, mobile interactions, and overall spending on mobile readiness by 2015.

 

Similarly, a McKinsey Group survey of 250 CIOs found that 56% reported strong demand from employees to support a wider range of mobile devices at work, and over 70% planned to institute “BYOD” (bring your own device) programs to allow employees to access company repositories and applications with personally-owned devices. In addition, 30% of the CIOs said they felt tablets could foreseeably replace laptops “in the coming years.” (4)

 

“Mobile First” — Design Approach or Channel Strategy?

Today, the growing importance of mobile devices finds expression in a popular rallying cry: Mobile First! Venture capitalists, product managers, usability experts, and IT analysts all preach the “mobile first” gospel. Mobile first dominates design decisions, investment strategies, conference agendas, and marketing messages. Pity the would-be entrepreneur whose start-up business plan does not embrace mobile first.

 

From all the argument above it is clear that a mobile website is great for any business. At a minimum, mobile first is a customer engagement strategy. It is not only about the shift to mobile devices from fixed PCs. It is, rather, about the shift from fixed and restricted access to computing services to   access everywhere.

Given below are some other important reasons why having a mobile friendly website is important

To shop online users prefer Mobile more than a PC or a laptop.

Since 2013, there has been a major change in shopping trends. Mobile devices have dominating the online shopping arena gathering 55% of consumer shopping time when compared to desktop which stood at 45%

Mobile is a more impactful medium.

 

A  Google survey done recently concludes that

 

·         74% of visitors visited the websites which were more mobile friendly

·         61% of users never return back to a website which was not responsive to mobile layouts

·         67% users were more inclined to buy from a mobile friendly website

 

Thus there are three very strong reasons to have a mobile friendly website

 

Customer wants it – And you are expected to provide it -  Consumers are spending less and less time in front of desktop and they are demanding access on the go. So if you do not cater to your customers need, they will take their business elsewhere. Have a responsive website because standard website browsed on small screen mobile devices just won’t cut it. Your mobile website should be specifically designed for mobile for optimal viewing.

 

Google May start punishing if your website is not mobile friendly:  Under its new model, Google also realizes that desktop is now no more necessary to surf internet. Consumer wants internet at the click of the button and the entire website should cater to it.

Be ready to lose business; if you do not have a mobile friendly website:  Data has shown that consumers are moving towards mobile and it is quickly becoming preferred mode to access internet. So if your website is not there or is shabbily designed for mobile devices be ready to lose some internet savvy consumers.

 

So to conclude, a business owner who is ready to evolve and adopt changing paradigm will surely have an advantage over a traditional style of business model in this ever so connected world. A mobile friendly website pushes your business into this new realm where you have access to more users and your business will have the ability to always be in touch with your consumers and help them cater to their specific needs each time , every time.

 

Reference

(1)    An extract from: 'Understanding the Mobile Shift' By Tim Walters, Ph.D Article available at: http://www.vecta.net/resources/vecta_newsletter_nov2013_features.htm

 

(2)    In September 2012 IDC forecast tablet sales of 261.4 million units in 2016.

Article available at: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2012/09/20/

tablet-sales-forecast-rises.html

(3)    See Tata Consultancy Services’ September 2012 report, “The New Digital Mobile

Consumer: How Large Companies Are Responding.” Available at www.tcs.

com/digitalstudy.

 

(4)    See the September 2012 McKinsey Quarterly article, “Mobility Disruption:

A CIO Perspective.” Available at (may require registration): https://www.

mckinseyquarterly.com/Business_Technology/BT_Strategy/Mobility_

disruption_A_CIO_perspective_3019.