As a business owner or manager, you will already be well aware of the stiff competition that you face from competitors. The internet has benefitted businesses hugely over the years, providing more opportunities and networking platforms than ever before. However, it has also meant that businesses these days have to compete not just on a local or national level but also on an international one.
Consumers have so much choice available these days when it comes to finding goods and services. They can choose from companies that are right on the doorstep, those that are based elsewhere in the country, and even those based in another country altogether. So, what can you do to make your company stand out to potential customers?
Embrace the digital era
Given our reliance on advanced technology, one of the key ways of attracting new customers is to embrace the digital era. With so many people of all ages using technology on a daily basis, this is the perfect way for any business to move forward. A key part of this is to ensure your business targets the mobile market and not just the online one, as more and more people are now visiting websites and purchasing goods or services via their mobile devices.
Many MSNBC breaking news stories and news reports on other sites have reported on the ongoing popularity of mobile use. People are turning to mobile devices in their droves these days, and businesses that do not take this into consideration risk losing out to their competitors. Without a mobile online presence, you could find yourself out in the cold, as you will lose out on a potentially huge customer base. This is especially true if your goods or services are designed for younger or middle-aged people or for professionals. These are the groups that tend to spend a huge amount of time online via their mobile devices.
The issues you face if you don’t go mobile
There are many potential issues that your business will have to face if you do not work on a solid mobile online presence. Some of the problems you may experience include:
- Missing out on a huge sector of society: People of all ages use mobile devices, and many people now use them more than they do a computer. This means that by not having a mobile online presence, you could be missing out on a huge share of the market. This will result in your mobile-friendly competitors gaining the upper hand when it comes to increasing their customer base, leaving your business trailing behind.
- Marring your professional image: Another thing to bear in mind is that failing to embrace the mobile tech revolution will leave your business looking outdated. This can have a massive impact on the professional image of your business while your competitors will be enjoying the enhanced image and benefits that come with having a polished mobile site for consumers to access.
- The wrath of Google: Google is putting more and more emphasis on the importance of being mobile-friendly when it comes to businesses. In fact, businesses that do not move forward when it comes to being mobile-friendly are now penalized by the search engine giant in terms of rankings. You will, therefore, end up way further down the organic results compared to rivals that do have a good mobile presence.
These are three of the key negatives that come with not having a mobile online presence for your business. Considering the huge impact that these can have on your ability to compete, and on your bottom line, it is vital to look into how you can embrace the mobile revolution.
The options that you can consider
You don’t have to go to a huge amount of expense to create a solid mobile online presence. You will find plenty of professionals to help you with this at very competitive rates, and the investment will be more than worth it in the long run. This is because your mobile presence can help you to boost your customer base dramatically.
One of the options you can consider is having a fully-fledged mobile website, which consumers can access on their smartphones and tablets. This will enable them to access your site without any issues when it comes to viewing, browsing, purchasing, or making contact with you.
Another option, which is the more popular one amongst businesses, is to opt for a responsive website. This means that you will only have one site but it will be able to detect the device that it is being accessed on and re-size itself accordingly. So, those accessing your site on their mobile device will enjoy the same experience as those using a computer. This is the cheaper and more convenient option, as it means that you only have one website to manage rather than two.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that having a mobile or responsive website is of vital importance for businesses these days. With an ever-increasing range of mobile devices hitting the market, the popularity of mobile internet will continue to rocket. This means that more and more people will rely more on their mobile devices when going online. If you don’t have a mobile online presence – or even if you have a site but it is not mobile-friendly – your business will miss out on this growing market.
