The Increase in Mobile Usage, Google's Recommendations, and the Rise in Technology Make Having a Mobile Website More Important than Ever

Web designer, speaker, writer, and marketing consultant Brad Frost probably put it best when he said, "Mobile users will do anything and everything desktop users will do, provided it's presented in a usable way."

He is right, and the statistics back it up. Regardless of age, location, and intent, people all over the globe are using mobile devices to surf the Web. If your business still doesn't have a mobile-friendly website, here are 4 reasons why you need one:

1. Google Recommends Responsive Design

Not only does Google officially support smartphone-optimized websites, specifically Responsive Design, but they recently began testing a new icon in mobile search results that tells the user if the website they are about to click on is mobile-friendly or not.

They currently do not penalize a website in the search results if it is not optimized for mobile; however, based upon their recommendation and this new icon, it might be a matter of time before the next algorithm change benefits mobile websites. Considering that Google currently holds 83.3 percent of the US Mobile Search Market Share, you should probably consider following their guidelines.

2. Staggering Mobile Statistics

If for some reason you're unsure about the rise in mobile usage, take a look at some of the statistics below. Yes, more and more people are adopting mobile devices, but those people are also a different kind of consumer.

3. Rise of Mobile Voice Search

As voice commands and the ability for users to speak requests into a device improve, more consumers are utilizing that technology to search for products, services, business locations, hours, etc.

According to one survey from Search Engine Watch which interviewed 1,400 Americans, 55 percent of teens use Google voice search more than once a day and 41 percent of adults use it each day.

No one is speaking these search queries into a desktop computer. They're using their smartphones or tablets, and the results that come up need to be optimized for all devices.

4. Rise of Mobile Payments

Apple Pay and Google Wallet now allow consumers to not only browse with their mobile devices, but to complete transactions as well. For now, people are still in love with their plastic, but eventually this could revolutionize the way we shop online and offline.

The point is, as mobile technology continues to get smarter and more useful, there will be no reason to surf the Web on anything other than a mobile device.

The trend of creating mobile-friendly, Responsive websites has become a common practice. Why? Because businesses now know that if consumers have a poor mobile experience with a brand, they will flock to the competition. Creating a Responsive site for your business will keep you in line with competitors and open up a whole new world of mobile marketing practices.

Click here to let Thoughtwire create a mobile-friendly website for your small, medium, or large business today!