The Top Ten Reasons to Go Mobile

If you are accessing this page from a mobile or tablet you will already have realised that it is perfectly optimised for your particular device, allowing you to easily read the text without the need for panning, scrolling or zooming. This responsive nature is quickly becoming an essential characteristic of modern websites as more and more visitors access products and services online from a mobile device. Here we present our top ten reasons for upgrading your e-commerce website to be responsive and adaptive, fully embracing the burgeoning m-commerce market.

Internet-capable mobile devices are ubiquitous, with the umber of mobiles and tablets exceeding the human population. Over 2bn people worldwide have access to the internet and at least half of this number own internet-connected devices such as iPhones, Kindles and Androids. This massive potential market continues to grow as devices become cheaper and more people gain access.

A modern customer using a mobile device to access a website will expect their online experience to be as simple, intuitive and effective as when using the desktop version of the site. Users also demand quick loading times, simple navigation and a secure online checkout; websites that do not have all of these features risk losing business to more contemporary competitors. A recent survey showed that 2 out of 3 mobile visitors would be 'unlikely' to return to a website that was 'difficult to navigate' when using a mobile device and 40% said they would visit a competitor's mobile-friendly website instead, even if it meant breaking brand loyalty.

When deciding to buy a product or service online, a customer will use a variety of methods to find the best deal including using search engines and reading peer reviews. Studies have shown that 74% of online customers accessed a search engine on their mobile at least once during the process of deciding to buy a product or service. On average, customers visited websites around 6 times before committing to a purchase, favouring sites that offered a consistent experience across a range of devices.

Figures indicate that mobile shoppers will spend an average of 15 hours each week browsing and purchasing products and services online. 59% of these shoppers directly access company websites on a mobile device, making mobile website browsing almost equal to the amount of app usage at an average of 7.5 hours.

When researching a purchase decision using a mobile device, 71% of website visitors will use a 'store locator' or similar function which instantly utilises GPS technology; 69% of customers make a purchase from a store within their specified radius after using this function. As Google continues to evolve its complex search algorithms, the Google Places app is set to play an ever-growing role.

Although the amount of purchases made online continues to grow exponentially, purchases made in-store are still of great significance. Companies which have developed mobile internet strategies are seeing an increase in foot traffic to their stores after customers have used mobile devices to research various products and services. At least 93% of mobile internet searches lead to a purchase; of this figure, 82% bought from a store after researching online and 17% bought the product there and then using their mobile device.

As research on any given product or service can be carried out so instantly using a mobile device, the number of impulse purchases has risen, representing a sharp increase in revenue for mobile-ready businesses. Within a single hour of locating, researching and validating a product, at least 55% of customers will want to make a purchase; 83% of customers will take up to 24 hours to fully make the decision. If a website is mobile-friendly, these numbers continue to increase.

Mobile devices which are internet-capable continue to grow in number, consequently increasing the size of the potential market of online shoppers. On the notorious 'Black Friday' last year, mobile and tablet shopping accounted for a staggering 25% of all purchases and the European m-commerce market has increased by a dramatic 183% over the course of 2013. It is predicted that, in just 2 years, the use of mobile internet will exceed that of desktop usage.

The future is clearly mobile and it is essential that your business is ready. Customers are comfortable and familiar with the mobile platform and will continue to grow more discerning as technology improves further. High search engine rankings will begin to depend on mobile-specific qualities and a mobile website will operate perfectly on the operating systems which have become standard such as iOS, Android, Symbian, Palm, RIM and Microsoft Mobile.

Brickweb offer a complete, bespoke service to our diverse range of clients. With a wealth of knowledge and experience, our highly-trained team create websites that function to an optimal level on every device they are accessed from, providing discerning modern customers with a sleek, secure and contemporary online experience.

To start the upgrade process and ensure your website is mobile-ready, call Brickweb today on +44 (0)1254 277190 or email info@brickweb.co.uk and book your free, no-obligation review and consultation.