Why having a mobile friendly website is key to business
Back in 2009, I bought a template website. It was perfect in all of it's new flash glory... But something incredible started to happen and my website became an issue. Mobile devices began to dominate navigating the web and smartphones became the new audience. Accommodating my flash website for mobile devices meant more money and a sub-par web presence on a 4" screen.
Fast forward to October of this year, I was in need of a new website and I began researching for a company that would offer a beautiful website with the capabilities of being as beautiful on a smartphone or tablet. And this here is what you see now.
Did you know that over 60% of my visitors daily are visiting on a mobile device? That means that more than half the people who visit my website everyday are doing so right from the palm of their hand!
Let's look at some real numbers...
In the chart above we can see that only twice since my website has been mobile friendly, has there been more desktop visitors. The rest of the year has been primarily from mobile devices!!! Check out the month of May, mobile users account for 72% of the visitors that month. The biggest difference to date! It's only the second week of June and we can see that 67% of visitors are through a mobile device.
You might be saying to yourself, "Well, that's all good but why does it really matter?"
1. INCREASES EXPOSURE
You might not realize it but people are attached to their smartphones! If they need something, they use an app. If they need directions, they use maps and GPS. If they need a question answered... you guessed it, they use Google right from their phone. We use our phones for everything now and with bigger screens, we can appreciate bigger pictures and more content.
Having a mobile friendly site can increase your exposure among clients that otherwise you might have not been able to reach. Not everyone gets on a desktop computer everyday to check Facebook. No, they do it right from the convenience of their mobile device. I use device because it could be their smartphone or tablet. Could even be Apple TV.
Now imagine that someone shared your website onto their Facebook. What happens next is incredible, people begin clicking on the link to view your portfolio online. Wouldn't it be nice to reach all those people every day with a site that streamlines from desktop to mobile without skipping a beat? You bet it's amazing.
2. YOUR PORTFOLIO IS ALWAYS ON HAND
I don't know about you but as a photographer, I have often found myself at a dinner with friends and the begin to ask about my work. Rather than handing them a business card, I whip out my phone and launch my website. I show them the galleries, allow them to browse through the blog, and let them play with the site while we're having dinner. Instantly, I have connected with a potential client. This actually happened once and I was able to convince a bride of booking with me.
Another great example is when I do hand out a business card and the client jumps onto the website minutes later. What they see is a seamless connection between my business card and the branding of my website. They are able to stay a while and check out the different galleries. Instantly, they have become a potential client.
Having a person wait until they jump on a computer to view your website is like putting money in a pocket that has a hole in it. You lose potential clients because they won't remember later, they won't write your website address down. What they will do is look for you on Google and Facebook and from there connect to your site right from their table at Starbucks.
3. Google
Google has begun to penalize websites who are not mobile friendly. If that isn't cause big enough to make you get a mobile friendly site, then I don't know what is! Regardless, Google is onto something big. They are aware that most of their users are connected through a mobile device. Google is aware that having a site that is ready for any device is crucial to its users. What happens when you open the browser on your phone and Google something? It gives you exactly what you're looking for: Google's rapid search results with the same branding that Google has on desktop computers.
I'm not sure whether penalizing websites for not being mobile friendly is a good thing or a bad thing, but I do know that what they are trying to accomplish through this new strategy is going to move the future of websites. Make sure that you don't get left behind!
If you need to check if your website is mobile friendly enough for Google, click HERE to find out.
Don't lose exposure because your website is not mobile ready. You could be losing more than visitors - potential clients! Use the link above to check on Google if your website is mobile friendly and stop losing potential clients now. I know this completely changed the way visitors connect with my photography and me!
Happy Friday my friends!
