Mobile sites are more important for B2C marketing

Most companies are aware they need to maintain a website to attract new customers, but many are lagging behind when it comes to creating a mobile site for B2C marketing. More people use their smartphones as their primary way to access the Internet, and very few have patience for slow load times or broken images. It’s especially important for B2C companies to deliver a user-friendly mobile experience because more consumers are using their smartphones and tablets to make purchases.

An infographic from WhoIsHostingThis? revealed 45 percent of American adults have a smartphone, and 90 percent of these owners use their phones to go online. Many smartphone owners use their mobile devices to access the Internet more frequently than they use a desktop PC. And mobile users don’t have much patience. The study found 74 percent of mobile visitors will abandon a site if it takes more than 5 seconds to load, meaning marketers don’t have long to impress potential customers.

A mobile site is a necessity for reaching target audience

With so many people using mobile devices, it’s likely potential clients are visiting business websites from multiple devices. Companies need to ensure they not only have a mobile site but deliver a high-quality user experience. It’s important to have a site that is accessible from visitors’ devices of choice.

Simplicity is key in designing a mobile-friendly website. Cramming too much content on the home page will lead to slow load times and user frustration. Since smartphones have smaller screens, the design needs to account for this with a simpler layout and navigation bar than what companies could use for a traditional website, Search Engine Journal said. Too many things on the first page could make the site seem complicated to navigate for users.

Navigation can be a bit of a challenge for mobile sites because it is harder to click links from a smartphone screen. Sliding menus and dropdowns can improve this aspect of user experience.

Responsive Web design helps companies adapt to mobile trends

As mobile technology has grown in popularity, Web design has adapted so companies can create sites that adjust based on the type of device used to view it. Before responsive Web design, businesses need to create a separate version of their websites for mobile, which was not cost-effective. They would also have to test the site across multiple browsers and devices to ensure compatibility. Responsive design enables companies to maintain one site.

Since mobile use shows no sign of abating, companies should anticipate a more significant amount of traffic from this source. When designing a mobile site, businesses need to identify the context that would cause users to visit from a smartphone rather than a desktop, so the features and content on the homepage need to be relevant, Search Engine Journal said. Mobile sites need to be designed around what smartphone users would be looking for.

Even though offering a mobile site improves user experience, companies can benefit from improved SEO results as well. Changes to Google’s algorithms give preference to mobile-friendly websites, which means potential customers will be more likely to find the business.