Convenience, on the go, at your fingertip, was once the dream of Science and Technology. But today, when approximately 3.5 billion people (Statista, 2019) have a smartphone in their pocket, it’s a necessity.And while the theatrics of tech keep us on our toes every day, allow the following statistics to show you why Mobile Optimization is no longer an option:
- In 2018, China stood as the country with the highest number of smartphone users at approximately 851 million. India followed second at about 345 million and so on so forth; the numbers add up to reveal a staggering global progress in usage of smartphones (Statista, 2019). In such a scenario, the concept of ‘Meeting the consumers where they are,’ becomes crucial to follow
- A simple Google search on time spent on smartphones will help you understand the penetration of Digital in our lives. Approximately, 2 hours 55 minutes of an individual’s attention is dominated by a small screen
- Gone are those days when consumers live on the word of the brand. With information available at fingertips, nearly seven out of ten internet users in the US say they would skim through customer reviews on their phones before making a purchase (eMarketer, 2019)
- E-commerce has led to the convenience of mobile-shopping; more than 50 percent of users use their phones to purchase products online(Datareportal, 2020). Furthermore, almost six out of every ten shoppers admit that the option of purchasing through a mobile contributes to brand selection (Google, 2019)
- Recent studies have shown thatmobile web traffic accounts for 52.6% of the global web traffic, and with constant innovations in service and technology, a surge in this number is guaranteed
- Voice search is a factor people usually tend to underestimate and fail to consider. Though relatively new, it’s attracting traffic across demographics
Mobile Optimization – A Need
With these statistics, it’s safe to say that the once optionalMobile Friendly or Mobile Optimized website is now imperative. And while many have understood its importance, very few back their decisions with adequate research and credible sources. For instance, the interchangeable use of Mobile Friendly and Mobile Optimized in a strategy, when the difference between the two is significant. The former represents a site built for desktop and only shrunk to fit a smaller screen with minimal or no additional changes. The latter, on the other hand, denotes a specially constructed, adjustable design and experience for the small screen.
Benefits of Mobile Optimization
If the statistics didn’t solidify your decision for a mobile-first strategy, here’s something that will. In today’s fast-paced world, interruptions are not welcomed, and certainly not on the Internet. A one second delay in loading speed can cost a tremendous drop in sales/traffic. Apart from assessing a website through its speed, research has proved that almost 60% of the users wouldn’t recommend an online business with an off-putting mobile design. This is where Mobile Optimization comes in, to secure the brand identity with an appealing design structure and ensure user satisfaction with customized content, and better loading speed.
To conclude, the process of optimizing a website may be tedious but even Google recognizes your efforts with a higher SEO rank!
