Inbound Marketing Strategy: If Your Site Is Not Mobile Friendly, You’re Not Friendly At All

Ah, the mobile device.

In a technological blink of the eye, it changed everything in the e-commerce world. Online shopping was transformed from something some?people did every now and then?while sitting on their couches?in their pajamas to something seemingly everyone does whenever and wherever they want.

In fact, so many people are using smartphones and other mobile devices to do their shopping that their activities are no longer considered e-commerce. Now it’s called mCommerce.

According to recent reports, mCommerce activity will reach $77 billion by the end of this year, according to eMarketer’s Forecast and Trends report. That would account for one-third of the online-purchases-pie. And that number is only expected to grow as consumers continue to expect to make purchases that are faster and more convenient for them.

Yes, mCommerce is an enormous opportunity for you–if you have an inbound marketing strategy and your website is mobile friendly.

What a mobile-friendly website looks like

If you don’t know whether or not your website is mobile friendly, it’s not.

In general, mobile-friendly websites have clean, easy-to-navigate designs that fit any and all mobile devices. They use an economy of graphics. The images they do use are optimized. They make it easy for users to find information, and they also make it easy for users to provide information.

This means they use white space strategically. There’s enough room between buttons; clickable elements are large and easy to tap. Some elements that appear on a standard website are hidden on mobile devices. Settings for auto-capitalization, auto-correct and input field assignments include forms with “type=email” and “type=url” to make it easy for users to share their information with you.

This all adds up to a mobile-friendly website that supports your inbound marketing strategies rather than turning away potential customers.

If you’ve looked at your website on a mobile device and found that it’s nothing more than a much, much smaller (and more frustrating) version of your website, your website isn’t friendly at all.

What you risk losing if your website isn’t mobile friendly

You already know that mCommerce represents an Andre the Giant-sized opportunity for your business–but only if your inbound marketing strategy includes a mobile-friendly website.

Without one, you risk losing a lot of conversions. Consider the following statistics from Smart Insights:

• More than 20 percent of all Google searches are done on mobile devices.
• In the United States, 25 percent of all Internet users only access websites on mobile devices.
• More than 60 percent of people think more highly of companies that offer good mobile experiences.
• If you don’t have a website that is mobile friendly and offers a good experience, there is a 61 percent chance users will immediately leave your site–and possibly head over to a competitor’s.

What’s the takeaway? It’s this: You need to make a mobile-friendly website part of your overall inbound marketing strategy. Doing so will open up your business to a world of conversion opportunities, a better reputation, and sales.

Remember, a website that’s not mobile-friendly is not friendly at all.

Get an idea of where your website stands with our Inbound Marketing Assessment. The assessment is quick and easy, but it will provide you with unprecedented information on the areas where you website is performing and where it can improve. Get started with our Free Inbound Marketing Assessment by clicking the button below.