Some businesses are still resistant to have a mobile-friendly website, either because they lack the resources or don’t see the value. If you are one of them – well, think again. In 2007, there were about 1 million mobile websites, and the number is supposed to reach 150 million by 2017. It is clear that mobile friendly websites are going to increase exponentially in the years to come. Why though?

Your customers are increasingly going mobile

According to studies, about 40% of the people who have a mobile phone use it for going online, and half of them will go online at least once every day. As of June 2013, there was a seismic shift in shopping trends: the online shopping champions were – you guessed it – mobile devices. They officially passed desktop PCs and laptops. People want information and services, and they want them fast. With the advancement in technology, it is possible for them to access this information and the services through their cell phones, and clearly they prefer that way. Those companies that have not yet adapted to mobile may miss this opportunity to attract customers.

Google prioritises mobile-friendly websites

Yup, you heard me. They even penalise websites in mobile search that are not mobile-friendly to ensure that websites which are mobile-friendly rank higher and provide mobile searchers with a better user-experience. Google’s goal is to increase search traffic, including mobile search traffic, and you can use that to your benefit by jumping on board. Below is a quote from Google’s blog post regarding this update:

We’re boosting the ranking of mobile-friendly pages on mobile search results. Now searchers can more easily find high-quality and relevant results where text is readable without tapping or zooming, tap targets are spaced appropriately, and the page avoids unplayable content or horizontal scrolling.