Mobile is not a new trend.  Over the past 5 years the world has quickly transitioned into a mobile-friendly atmosphere.  Mobile used to be associated with just smartphones, but now it includes tablets, smartwatches, and even glasses.

Many businesses haven’t adopted a mobile-friendly interface, and as a result, miss opportunities for engagement, brand recognition, and revenue.  After observing the impacts of mobile commerce for years, we’re here to tell you definitively: go mobile now.

If you’re not mobile-friendly, you’re not customer-friendly. Here’s why:

• 1 in 5 individuals in the world own a smartphone.
• Individuals spend approximately 2 hours per day on their mobile devices.
• 50% of online traffic is from a mobile device.
• The average order value from a tablet is $329.00, from a smartphone it’s $250.00.
• 85% of individuals who have mobile devices will “second screen.”  This means they will engage with their mobile device while using their laptops, desktops, or watching TV.
• 79% of individuals will engage with social media, especially Facebook, while watching TV.

More benefits of mobile:

• Mobile positively impacts your SEO.
  • Google will rank mobile-friendly sites higher in Organic searches on mobile devices over sites that are not mobile-friendly.
• It’s easy for customers.
  • Mobile interfaces usually enable the transaction to take place faster, which is better for the customer and the livelihood of your business.
• A mobile-friendly interface gives your site credibility in the eyes of customers, this makes it more trustworthy then a competitor’s site that is not mobile-friendly.

Make your mobile-friendly site as friendly as possible.  Here’s how:

• Perform a quick audit.
  • Observe how many steps it takes to complete a transaction from a mobile device on your site. The fewer steps necessary to make a purchase, the more purchases your site will receive.
• Customize the look and layout of your mobile site to ensure it fits your business.
  • Make your mobile site as interesting and as similar to your original website as possible.
• Engage your customers on social media.
  • A majority of mobile users go on Facebook or other social media in their down-time.  These platforms are an excellent place to reach potential customers on mobile and bring them to your mobile-friendly site.
• Consider mobile coupons.
  • Mobile coupons are easy to use, fast, and distributed quickly.
  • Businesses who release mobile coupons or other promotions related to mobile devices see an increase in mobile traffic and transactions.

We’ve tracked the effectiveness of mobile since the beginning and we’ve found that adopting mobile is not hype, it produces real results.  Mobile means flexible, adaptable, and current.  It is the preference of the generation of the digital era, so adapt to the future or get stuck in the past.

For more information on mobile commerce, see Big Commerce’s webinar and read some interesting stats from Business Insider.