Mobile web usage is exploding as more customers turn to their devices to find local businesses. In less than three years, more people will access the Internet via mobile devices than from desktop computers.
This shift in consumer behavior has huge upside implications for local businesses. Are you ready for it? Do you have a mobile-friendly website? Are you findable?
Just because your website is visible on a mobile device doesn’t mean it’s mobile-friendly. Mobile sites are specifically designed for the small screen. Mobile sites are quick, easy to navigate and “thumb friendly,” which means they use such things as large, centered buttons with “breathing room” to prevent accidental clicks.
And the best mobile-friendly websites make the mobile experience local.
(Read on for more details of how a mobile site can help your business. Or if you’re already convinced, one toll-free call to Dex can get you started. Dial (855) 566-7026 and press “O” for a customer care representative. Just say you’re interested in a new Dex Knows mobile website and Dex will take it from there.)
Magic of Mobile “Click-to-Call”
You can have your phone number open in a smartphone application that makes it easy for the customer to call your business with a single “click” (the beauty of mobile is that the device combines phone and Internet). Recent tests of click-to-call on local business mobile sites show that call rates for click-to-call are through the roof.
For example, nearly half of all consumers visiting transportation-related mobile sites make a phone call to the business. About 32% of customers visiting mobile sites for pizza restaurants called. And call rates are high for other categories as well, including car services (28%), auto repair (22%), home repair (20%), medical services (16%), beauty and spa (13%), retail stores (12%) and restaurants (11%). Compared to so-called “click through rates” for online ads, those call rates are enormous. And phone calls have a much higher rate of converting to sales.
Getting your own mobile website is easier than you think. For example, a low-cost mobile site from DexKnows offers all of these benefits:
- Multiple personalized pages and layout styles available
- Do-it-for-me updates included
- Available one-click links to your social media pages
- SEO package includes submission to Google, Bing and more than 40 directories
- Your phone number and maps open in smartphone apps
To see just what your business is missing, check out these working examples of mobile websites for a floral shop, an HVAC business and a local law firm. Here are examples of some different mobile site layouts.
Still not convinced? Here are three major reasons that mobile is a must for local businesses:
1. Mobile-friendly websites create positive customer response
Today’s consumers have high expectations for the mobile sites they visit. If your mobile site provides a good experience, it will drive revenue for your business. Research shows that 51% of consumers are more likely to buy from a retailer that has a mobile-friendly website.
But there’s a flip side to that. About one in five mobile users say they have a negative opinion of any business that has a poor mobile site or no mobile site. If all they find is your regular desktop site and have to squint and zoom their way through it, while attempting to fill in a microscopic search box or press a button the size of a pinhead, they’ll move on to someone else.
2. The time to move is now
You’ve been hearing about the potential of mobile for years. Now it’s here. For example, a third of all searches for restaurants now happen on mobile. Smartphones are now a part of people’s daily lives. Studies commissioned by Google show that 87% of smartphone owners use their devices on the go or while commuting and walking. And here’s an eye-opener: 93% of consumers now use their smartphones at home. Local businesses with mobile-friendly sites can take advantage of these consumer habits and reach customers wherever they are throughout the day.
3. Mobile offers immediate gratification
With a “click-to-call” feature, a “clickable” phone number allows customers to reach your business with one touch. Customers are hungry for the kind of information that makes it easy to contact you. That means the mobile site should have your address or some kind of locator on the landing page, along with directions and a map if possible.
What to Do Now
Call Dex at (855) 566-7026 and ask how you can get one of the new DexKnows Mobile Websites for your local business. Or visit the DexKnows Mobile Website webpage for more information and to see demos of mobile sites designed for your type of business.
Another helpful resource for local businesses is the new “GoMo” site developed by Google. GoMo (www.HowToGoMo.com) is a handy resource that aims to help small businesses learn about the benefits of mobile websites. You’ll find tips on mobile site best practices, a tool to rate the quality of an existing mobile site and samples of good mobile site design.
