When we partner with many local businesses, they want advice on where they should concentrate their online marketing for the greatest return. We let them know that one thing for sure; mobile optimization must be one of their top priorities.
“Mobile to overtake fixed Internet access during 2014” was a headline from back in 2008 by Mary Meeker, an analyst at Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers who reviews trends in technology. Also, as an example in a new study in 2013, 50% of insurance shoppers started their research on a mobile device, based on a consumer study by Nielsen. The more recent behaviors indicated that people will continue to look for a mobile friendly site that works for them.

Some additional interesting facts on “mobile” from the same studies reveal:
• 61 % of users said that if they didn’t find what they were looking for right away on a mobile site, they’d quickly move on to another site
• 50 % of people said that even if they like a business, they will use them less often if the website isn’t mobile-friendly
• Over 35% of the 600M Facebook users access using “Facebook Mobile”.
• 200M You Tube views occur on mobile devices every day.
• 50% of the 170M Twitter users use “Twitter Mobile”

It is clear that having a mobile accessible website is going to help your business, regardless of the industry you are in. So, make sure that you have a clear understanding between mobile-optimized and mobile compatible. Most websites today are “mobile compatible” and they meet the basics standards, meaning they are viewable. In contrast, a “mobile-optimized” website is designed specifically for a smartphone or a tablet, not a desktop or laptop computer.