The summer of 2014 is halfway over – have you accomplished everything on your summer to-do list?
Don’t worry if you haven’t. Once we’re free from the heavy coats of winter and long pants of fall, it’s hard not to let loose in the freedom and promise of summer. But we can get a little carried away with the possibilities. Before long, we have over-committed ourselves to a whole host of events, whether it’s heading to the park for hiking and biking, spending more time poolside, playing sports, or logging hours on the road in search of new places to explore.
That’s why you should move “optimizing company website for mobile platforms” to the top of your list.
Mobile-Friendly Websites Are No Joke.
To be fair, this was probably was not even on your to-do list. And it likely won’t stand a chance against “vacation in Cancun,” or “get a tan at the beach.” But summer is prime time for mobile website traffic. As more people head out on the road for vacation and other summer joy rides, they refer to their smartphones for guidance. When they arrive at their destination, they check-in and search Google for lodgings, restaurants, and attractions. See for yourself: at amusement parks or pools across the nation, you can’t miss the many teens and adults staring deeply into the glassy exterior of their mobile devices.
In the digital age, it doesn’t matter where we go or how fast we are moving; technology is our constant companion, always keeping pace and finding ways to supplement the experience. If your website can’t keep up, you are missing an opportunity to connect with a hefty portion of consumers.
Stats Back Us Up.
And this is a group that’s only expected to grow. The Pew Research Center has been polling Americans since 2009 to get an idea of how we use cell phones. It turns out that at this time last year, 60% of Americans with mobile phones accessed the internet on a mobile device. This number has been on the rise since the first survey in 2009.
Pew dug even deeper to find another startling statistic: for over a third of those people who access the internet via smartphones, these mobile devices serve as their primary point of access to the web. This means that for a sum total of nearly 20% of Americans, the only websites that they can access are websites that show up on cell phones.
So enjoy these warm months, and see if you can cross each item off your summer to-do list. But first, guarantee that your web presence can join the party, and be sure it’s not automatically turning down the invitation.
