Cellular subscriptions will hit a record 6 billion in 2012, accounting for 87% of the world’s population (within this number, there are an estimated 10 TRILLION text messages sent annually.) In 2011, 25% of mobile web users were mobile ONLY and in 2012, an estimated 85% of all handsets sold will be able to access the web.
The better question is not whether a mobile strategy is right for your business but rather, how will you position your brand to be properly accessed by mobile devices?
[FACT: 7 in 10 people sleep with their cell phone within arms reach!]
Mobile Websites
I am a firm believer in “inbound marketing” and I am constantly advising clients about how to better position themselves to be found my their target customer. The number one way to do that is to build a “home base,” your website.
Taking the figures above into consideration, your website should also be – at the very least – mobile enabled. And, depending on your industry, you may even need to have a totally separate mobile-ready website.
In fact, I believe that businesses should consider having two website options for people searching for information; regular ol’ website and a mobile-ready site. Smart phone usage is growing by leaps and bounds. If you have a mobile-ready site, your information will load faster and you can have simple and easy call-to-action buttons such as: Call, Click for Directions, Sample Menu, Coupons, Make Reservations and more.
The user has an easy positive experience and you’ve gotten yourself a new customer!
Plus, mobile site gives you another site to market to search engines and directories, therefore increasing your web ranking.
Here is an example of a regular ol’ website vs a mobile-ready site (as seen from my smart phone):
The Regular ol’ Website ———————>>>>>>>>>
The mobile-ready site ———->>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Now, which one would you think will be a better user experience and get the salon new business? Definitely the mobile-ready site!