Yes, it’s that time of year again. I’m sure some you over-achievers out there finished your holiday shopping back in July, but if you’re anything like me you looked at the calendar yesterday and realized you better get started! Can you guess the first thing I did after confirming that my holiday shopping window was quickly closing? You got it…I picked up my phone to look for gifts.
More and more people are doing their holiday shopping on their phones so if your website isn’t mobile-friendly your business runs the risk of being left out in the cold this season. Here are a few stats from Google to provide some perspective:
- The share of online purchases via smartphones has gone up 64% over last year.
- 30% of online shopping purchases now happen directly on mobile phones.
- 54% of all holiday shoppers said they shop on their smartphones in their spare time each day, such as during their commute.
Google also reports that shopping – related searches have gone up year over year, to the tune of 120%! What this all means is that not only are people using their phones to make purchases, but they’re also using them throughout the entire cycle of the shopping process.
Now, if you sell products only in your store and not online you might be tempted to think this information doesn’t apply to you. This couldn’t be farther from the truth! Google also reports that the mobile shopping behaviors they’ve identified carry over to in-store purchases as well.
Think about it. Let’s say I want to buy a really nice bottle of wine as a holiday gift for a friend. Being the procrastinator I am I will probably not get around to it until December 23rd which means I’ll have to buy the wine from a store instead of online. Even so, I’ll start by doing some research on my phone to find the right bottle, then look for stores in the area, I’ll compare prices at those stores, and finally I’ll punch in directions so I can get to the store as fast as possible so that bottle of wine can be wrapped and under the tree in time.
Is your website mobile? Having a mobile-friendly site is more important than ever. If the information above isn’t enough to make the case here a few final key points. Earlier this year Google changed its search algorithm to include whether or not a website is mobile-friendly. And as of 2015 over 61% of all web traffic comes from mobile devices.
You can check to see whether or not your website is mobile friendly by using Google’s handy Mobile Friendly Test. If your site fails, give me a call and we can discuss how to fix it over a nice glass of holiday wine!
Brian Rugg
Vice President, Think Big Go Local, Inc.
My focus is on web site design and usability, search engine optimization, and content strategy. More than just building a flashy website, I strive to make sure my work accurately reflects our clients’ brand and message to help drive sales.