According to digital marketing research firm eMarketer, shoppers who rely on mobile devices to inform their purchase decisions and/or conduct retail transactions are dramatically altering the ecommerce landscape.
The eMarketer article, “Mobile will take a greater percentage of total ecommerce retail sales,” provides compelling statistics: “This year [2013], 15% of online retail sales will take place via mobile devices, up from 11% in 2012. By 2017, the percentage will rise to 25%.”
The piece goes on to highlight tablet users, noting that, “Having a tablet almost guarantees that the person uses it for ecommerce. By 2017, 78% of US tablet users will make purchases via the device.”
So it stands to reason that if your business relies on its website to lure customers, it better be optimized for mobile viewing and engagement.
Today, responsive web design takes into account the variety of screen sizes likely to be used by viewers, be they mobile, desktop or laptop browsers, and optimizes a website for each variable.
But many small business owners lack the funds necessary to hire a design firm for a top-to-bottom website overhaul that includes responsive design elements.
However, plenty of relatively inexpensive solutions are available to help you quickly develop a mobile version of your company’s website.
The Mashable article, “7 Tools for Creating an Optimized Mobile Website,” provides an overview of some of the most popular online services aimed at those who need to reach the deepening pool of mobile shoppers with mobile-friendly websites.
Good luck, happy optimizing and, as always, thanks for reading.
