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The Truth About Your Website . . .It’s Leaking!

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OddStockfrom Flickr
OddStockfrom Flickr

One of the problems your website has to overcome is Bounce Rate.  It is the metric of how quickly someone leaves your site.  When the bounce rate is high, that indicates that people are leaving without spending any appreciable amount of time on your site.

A Mobile, Responsive Site for Business

A high bounce rate can be bad for business.  Keep it LOW! [TWEET]

Recent studies have shown an ever-increasing trend in mobile users.  The number of people accessing the internet with a mobile device is growing.  According to a September 2012 study by PewInternet, nearly 50% of American adults have a smartphone.

With the increase in mobile devices, we have a function problem with our websites.  The vast majority of websites are not ready for a mobile world.

When people share a link on Facebook or Twitter to your website, odds are someone with a mobile phone is going to see it in their feed.  When they click the link, they are going to be taken to a page with a miniature version of your website that is unusable.  Buttons are to small, images are tiny and text is unreadable.

 

WordPress Responsive Web Site DesignA website that is not optimized for mobile is losing business. clicktotweet

 

Google collects hordes of data and has commented on the growth and power of mobile.  As they looked at their data and measured user expectations, they found that web design for mobile devices had a significant effect on consumers.  According to their study, when a person landed on a website that was mobile friendly, they were 67% more likely to buy from that site.

Having a mobile friendly website will have an immediate and significant impact on your consumers and business.  Imagine what this would do for your conversion rates, your bounce rates and subscriptions.

When a person landed on a website that was mobile friendly, they were 67% more likely to buy from that site.

The same study found that when a they landed on a non-mobile friendly site with their mobile device, they were 61% more likely to LEAVE!  They are out of there.  They hit the back button.

A site that is not optimized for the mobile experience WILL cost you business, customers, and traffic.

The fact is this trend is growing.  The number of mobile users is trending up, not down.  The reality is that if your website is not mobile ready, you are missing business now and you will continue to miss out on business.

Steps to Take Now

1.  Check the Data

I would immediately begin looking at your website analytics to see what percent of your site traffic is coming from mobile devices.  If you are getting 40% or more of your traffic from mobile devices,

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you should seriously consider making a change to your website.  If you are less than 40%, you need to begin making plans to develop a

mobile site.  The growth of mobile is compelling.  Don’t get left behind and lose sales and leads.

2. Check out your referrals

Are you seeing a lot of social media sites, like Facebook or Twitter?  These sites tend to have a higher percentage of mobile referrals than desktop referrals.

3.  Plugins to the Rescue

If you are on WordPress, there are some options you can take immediately.  There are several plugins that will convert your website into a mobile friendly site.  Simply install the plugin and it will deliver a mobile friendly experience.  The downside to these plugins is customization.  Your mobile site will not match your site branding.  It could be a good intermediate as you decide how to transition to mobile.

The Plan

The best solution is to develop a mobile friendly responsive website for your business.  A responsive site will maintain your site’s branding and marketing message on all devices.  It will use the same information, therefore giving your mobile user and your desktop user the same experience.

The worst solution is to create a stripped down version of your website to deliver to mobile users.  They are looking for and deserve to have access to all of your great content, even if they are on a phone.

1.  Migrate to WordPress

I am a firm believer in the value of WordPress to a small business.  It is a simple to use content management system that will allow you to update and modify your site content.  It powers nearly 25% of all websites on the internet and is a powerful tool for small business.

2.  Deploy the Genesis Framework

The most secure, stable and robust WordPress themes you can use are built on the Genesis Framework.  This provides you with an incredibly stable platform upon which to build your business.  It is the framework that sits on top of WordPress to provide your site with the support and structure to meet your business needs.

3.  Use a StudioPress Theme

There are numerous free and premium StudioPress themes that will provide your site with the mobile friendly experience and the professional design you deserve.  The StudioPress themes are mobile ready by using responsive design code.  This will make sure your site looks great on the desktop, tablet or phone.

Get Online

Making sure your website is mobile friendly will help your site traffic, conversion and lead generation.  It will lower your bounce rate and improve your consumer experience.

What has been your experience?  Are you mobile ready?  What impact did it have on your site when you made the switch?  Share you experience in the comments below.

4 Reasons to have a Mobile Website

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WordPress Responsive Web Site DesignA business without a mobile responsive website is missing opportunities.  With more and more people finding online commerce more convenient and less expensive than traditional forms of commerce, any business owner worth his salt is trying to find a way online.

Having an established online presence is essential to engaging the new generation of consumers who actually prefer to be sold to online and through their mobile devices. These are the same people who will TiVo through commercials on a TV show or simply switch a radio station once it begins playing commercials. However, they will respond enthusiastically to coupons from a QR code or location-based sales pitches on their smart phones.

Having an established online presence is essential to engaging the new generation of consumers who actually prefer to be sold to online and through their mobile devices.

It’s About Mobile

The crux of this online presence should be your mobile website. This will be the landing page that will provide information and commerce for your business. Below are just a few of the reasons that you should invest in a mobile website.

1.  Commercial Intent

Customers who find your website online are much more likely to purchase from you.

According to many independent surveys, consumers to access a website online are up to 90% more likely to make a purchase or visit a store front than a consumer who accesses a website from a desktop PC.

This makes sense; when an individual accesses a website from a mobile device, that individual is most likely outdoors on the move searching for an answer to a particular problem.

In order to take advantage of these impulse buyers, you must have a mobile website that is ready to go.

2. Marketing ROI

Mobile websites give the best ROI of any marketing tool today.  Contrary to popular belief, the creation and maintenance of a mobile website is very inexpensive. Because sales can be made directly from a mobile website, it pays for itself much more quickly than does advertising your products and services on television or radio.

Mobile websites have virtually no maintenance costs after the initial design and web hosting fees.

3. Connect with Customers

Mobile websites provide a forum for customers to feel personally attached to a business.

You will be viewed as a part of the life of a consumer rather than a business that is looking to sell a product to a consumer.

If you are able to entice your customers to opt in to a location based coupon service or an alert system that directs them to your mobile website, they will likely receive your updates happily rather than viewing them as spam or hard-sell advertising.

This phenomenon is based upon the fact that people perceive any information that comes to them through their personal devices as being more personal to them. You will be viewed as a part of the life of a consumer rather than a business that is looking to sell a product to a consumer.

4. Missing Link Found

The mobile website is the missing link between the online and off-line connectivity of your business and the customer.

In order to stay at top of mind of your customer base, you must have a ubiquitous presence in their lives. If you have a desktop website but no mobile website, it is very likely that your customer will completely forget your sales pitch on his way from the PC to the car.

However, if you have a mobile website, your customer is carrying you with him at all times. Your customers will literally not be able to get away from you, and contrary to what you might believe, they will actually thank you for this type of service with their continued, loyal business.

The Mobile Website of the Future

A business that is set to grow and expand their business needs to be where their customers are.  The number of mobile devices, tablets and phones, in use by your customers is soon to surpass the number of desktop users.

If you put all your eggs in your “regular website” you will be missing out on the future.  When your customer walks into your store, they will have phone in hand.  They will be looking at your competitors and comparing prices.  If they cannot also access your site while in your competitors store, you miss out on the opportunity to influence buying decisions.

A mobile website is the “next big thing” for small businesses.  Shout off in the comments below.  Do you agree?  Do you have a mobile website?