When you look at a mobile phone you may see a small screen but you could possibly be missing the bigger picture. Search engine giant Google explains in a recent post on their Google Mobile Ads Blog, that two thirds of users will switch websites if they do not find what they want quickly while searching on their mobile device. With so many local searches being done on a mobile device, it makes it even more crucial to have a mobile friendly website for search engine marketing.
What Does a Mobile Friendly Website Mean to You?
Just because a website displays on a smartphone does not mean it is mobile friendly. Instead, a mobile friendly website should help visitors find what they need and find it quickly. Google’s study states that 67% of visitors using mobile devices have a higher probability of purchasing from a website which offers easy accessibility for users on phones and tablets.
If you were on a smaller screen and possibly on the move, you wouldn’t want to reach a website that is hard to navigate or worse, not load up completely. The smaller screen makes some common & usual tasks much harder such as clicking on links and reading content. Combining accessibility issues with the stresses of being on the go could drive a searcher crazy and thus drive your visitors to your competition.
You Could Be Losing Half of Your Customers
Although your business is more likely to be chosen over another, the fact that their website is not mobile friendly can drive up to 50% of your customers away. Out of the 50% that will stay, only a quarter of visitors will return to a non-mobile friendly website. With that said now, what does a mobile friendly website mean to you?
Statistics aside, local search has been growing and it is not just because more customers are searching Google local results. With smartphones, tablets and other devices becoming more obtainable and wireless access to the internet becoming a standard, local search has grown exponentially. Especially since many of the devices we use today default our search engine queries to a local search.
Align Your Website for the Future
If you think these numbers are the result of a fad or some strange occurrence then you are not aligning your website properly for future search engine marketing. The amount of mobile users will be increasing time and time again in the future. Local search will continue to evolve into a more useful and well recognized tool for finding local businesses. The amount it costs to offer a mobile solution for your web presence is minimal and compared to the cost of losing business now, along with more in the future, it is more of a pertinent investment.
Investing with Local SEO Sites allows you to grow in your future local search engine optimization and paid placement efforts. We optimize your complete web presence including maintenance and also offer customized creations of mobile friendly websites. By staying on top of search engine news and anticipating future changes, we offer small businesses an advantage over their competition.