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Media Information: Businesses Warned They Face A Stark Choice: Mobilize Or Die!
Media Information: Businesses Warned They Face A Stark Choice: Mobilize Or Die!
Any business that has website that is not mobile responsive is at a great disadvantage since most of their customers and competition are using mobile devices. Most visitors on a mobile device leave a standard website to a find mobile one.
Birmingham,
AL,
United States of America
(prbd.net)
04/04/2013
A Birmingham business is warning others in Alabama that 2013 will be a make or break year. It says now is the time, for any retailer hoping to survive the 'smart revolution' that's gathering pace across the States, to make online marketing the number one business priority. The forecast, combined with a dire warning that businesses must mobilize or die, comes from Sharon Montague, founder of Online Marking Solutions, LLC, http://www.onlinemarketingsolutionsllc.com/ a full-service internet marketing specialist at the forefront of the digital wave that's sweeping the nation.
Most businesses already know if they can't be found on the internet they're missing out on potential customers. But what many business owners don't know is the way that prospective purchasers are using the net is changing fast, with many existing online strategies - even those just a year old - rendered a waste of time and money. Running any kind of company in the current economic climate is tough and with so many people working hard in their business, day to day, it's easy for individuals to miss out on the wider developments that may help them to convert more of their prospects into paying customers.
Mobilization is just one such emerging trend. The statistics alone make a pretty compelling case for why a company's website should be mobile-friendly requiring all those product and service providers who thought the mobile internet was just another geeky fad, to think again.
By the end of last year there were 5.3 Billion mobile phone subscribers worldwide with more i-phones sold every day than people born. More than half of all mobile users in the US own an internet-enabled smart phone, half of which use the Android platform - now the dominant force in mobile technology, having emerged out of nowhere over the last couple of years. Tablet usage is up substantially too, with some 52.4 million Americans possessing their own device as of December 2012.
Various surveys suggest 95% of mobile owners use their phones to look up local information with one in every three online searches for information being made on mobile rather than fixed technology. Consumers spend five out of every six minutes online on social media. During this time, comparing suppliers and reading reviews are amongt the most popular activities. Google's own research indicates 67 per cent of people are more likely to purchase a product or service from a business that has a mobile-friendly website and that 61 per cent of internet shoppers said they'd leave a site that wasn't optimized for mobile viewing.
The ownership figures are staggering but, when it comes down to actual benefits, the argument for going mobile is overwhelming.
Montague explains: "Take a look on any subway, in any mall or coffee shop, or even around the meeting table at work, you'll see people glued to their smart phones. As new devices, better apps and more reliable networks continue to evolve, customers are increasingly browsing the web while they are on the move. Most regular websites aren't optimized for mobile devices so not only do they look pretty horrible but their functionality can be impaired. Having a genuinely optimized site, rather than simply shrinking the size of some text to fit a smaller screen, and tailoring the customer experience is vital in increasingly competitive markets. It pays huge dividends. And it costs less than people think."
"Regardless of browsers or devices, with a mobile-friendly website, downloads are faster and information is clearer and easier to read. Having an effective mobile site, offering targeted content, improves your search rankings across the board. It also means customers can browse your site absolutely anywhere they have a signal, creating greater opportunities for spur of the moment purchases. Not least, it sends the right signals to your buyers; that you are at the cutting edge, changing with the times and responsive to their needs."
She continues: "Many online retailers, auto dealers, firms in the construction industry and indeed other operations that need a regular supply of new inquiries, have to seek professional help as they have neither the time nor the technical skills to create the right presence and that's where we come in. We offer a completely free evaluation of a company's website, online traffic and wider digital marketing strategy followed by the creation of a no obligation proposal identifying ways in which problems can be addressed and business growth can be achieved."
Despite continued economic uncertainty, retail e-commerce grew in the US in 2012, reaching a value of some $289 billion and outpacing the growth achieved by physical retail outlets fourfold. M-commerce transactions accounted for approximately 11 per cent of all e-commerce sales with forecasts of much more to come as the majority of online sales will be made via smart phones and tablets within the next three to five years.
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For further editorial information, digital photography or to arrange interviews please contact Sharon Montague on 1-205-433-9603. http://www.onlinemarketingsolutionsllc.com/
Editors' Notes:
- Online Marking Solutions, based in Birmingham, AL, offers a wide array of Internet marketing and SEO services to local businesses. Its core services include mobile site optimization, online reputation management, keyword research, competitive analysis, link building, article writing, list creation, training programs, mobile app development, social media management and digital marketing consultancy.
- The firm is a member of the Local Internet Marketing Association and has a team of over three hundred professionals, each specializing in different aspects of internet marketing, that it can call on.
About
Despite continued economic uncertainty, retail e-commerce grew in the US in 2012, reaching a value of some $289 billion and outpacing the growth achieved by physical retail outlets fourfold. M-commerce transactions accounted for approximately 11 per cent of all e-commerce sales with forecasts of much more to come as the majority of online sales will be made via smart phones and tablets within the next three to five years.
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