What It Means to Have a Mobile-Friendly Business

Mobile phones are fast becoming the main screen through which clients interact with your business. According to the Pew Research Center, 84% of affluent Americans own a smart phone. Of those, 97% said they use a smart phone for text messaging, 92% use it for phone calls, 89% for internet access, 88% for email, and 75% for social networking.

Think of the touchpoints you have with clients – they almost all fall into one of these categories.

Moral of the story? If you want to interact with clients, you need to be a mobile-friendly business. Here is what that looks like:

1. You keep clients happy

With so much choice available, clients need a reason to continue their online interactions with your business. That means everything from email (53% of emails are opened on mobile devices) to marketing (mobile platforms account for more than 60% of time spent consuming digital media) to planning (51% of U.S. adults manage money online) must be optimized for mobile.

Practically speaking, optimized for mobile means a “responsive design.” In other words, the website adapts to fit the screen on which it is displayed. That way, smart phone users avoid the annoying pinching and zooming that came with old website designs.

After all, if clients have to waste time constantly adjusting their screen, chances are they’ll move on to greener pastures. With a mobile-friendly approach however, clients enjoy the convenience they’ve come to expect from most every service. And they have a positive experience because of it.

2. You can be found by clients and prospects

Last year, the almighty Google recognized the need to update their search algorithm in order to promote mobile-friendly sites and demote unfriendly ones. At the time, some sensational journalists dubbed this update “Mobilegeddon,” but in reality the change was actually a good thing – especially for users.

For you, this means that in order to have your website, blog, or other marketing material discovered by clients and prospects through just about any search engine, then it must be mobile-friendly. Otherwise, search engines will demote your online materials to the bottom of the list. And as most everyone can attest, no one scrolls to the bottom of the search results, let alone the next page.

You can check if your website meets Google’s requirements by taking their mobile-friendly test.

3. You’re ready for what comes next

At eMoney’s last Advisor Summit, attendees were graced with the unfiltered wisdom of one Gary Vaynerchuk, a tech entrepreneur and marketing guru. Among his many insights, Gary speaks often of the idea of “one screen.” According to him, the only screen that matters is the one in front consumers, or in your case, prospects. The goal of any company should be to do whatever they can to get their message on that screen.

A mobile-friendly, or responsive, design fits perfectly into Gary’s philosophy. By adapting to the size of a screen, rather than a device, a responsive design is ready for any screen – whether that’s a tablet, a phone, or a phablet, or anything in between. Meaning that no matter what screen your clients use to come to your business, you’re able to provide the best possible experience.

Learn How to Maximize the Mobile Experience for Your Clients

Want to learn how to optimize the mobile experience for your clients? Twenty Over Ten and eMoney will present a joint webinar on Weds, June 8th at 3 PM Eastern: Maximize Your Mobile Experience. This live webinar is free and open to anyone.