Get Smart – Get Mobile

 

The growth in people using Smartphones over desktop and laptop computers is mind boggling and growing exponentially by the day.  Consider this - in 2013, 50% of web traffic will come from mobile devices as more people will use their Smartphones (eg. iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows mobile, Palm Pre) rather than computers for surfing the internet. 

Check out the latest stats: 

19% of all phones sold worldwide are now Smartphones 

Over 70% of the world’s population now have a mobile phone  

The total numbers of iPhones sold worldview is over 60 million  

Approximately 35% of all mobiles in NZ are smart phones, and expected to increase to 50% by 2014

What is a mobile website?

Simply put, a mobile website is a website that has been formatted to fit a mobile phone screen with it’s content optimized for viewing and interacting using a Smartphone. This enables  your company website, to work more easily and efficiently with the smaller screen of a Smartphone or iPad.

Why is this relevant to me?

More and more people on the move require fast and easy access to websites and data. Google found that 1 in 3 customers use their Smartphone throughout the buying process. Mobile websites deliver a better experience to your customers.  If you don’t have this functionality, you could be losing out on sales.

Here’s an example from the customer’s side. Recently I was out and about in Auckland looking for a used car. My friend was driving while I used my iPhone to search dealer websites to look for stock and yard addresses, then go into Google Maps to get directions. Then after I viewed vehicles onsite at physical yards, I’d go into their website to look at further details or to forward that listings to friends for their opinions. Dealers with non-mobile websites meant I had to enlarge each page which took longer to download, then fiddle about searching for cars and squinting at my screen at tiny links.  Then I had to find their address, go from their website into Google maps, find out and type in exactly where I was, then type in their address and work out the most efficient route to go, all while trying to relay that to the driver - who was getting very frustrated with my stop-start navigating!  The dealers who had mobile websites made it 100x easier to find out what I needed to know. I could search their stock more easily, and access their contact details faster. In a few clicks I could find what I was looking for on pages that fit clearly onto my iPhone.  Dealers without mobile websites meant a lot of mucking about on my iPhone to find the information that I needed.  Now you can get directions to dealerships built into your mobile website.  It’s also easier to contact dealers using features like click-to-call, where their Smartphone will bring up your website, easily find your number, press and call!

What kind of devices use mobile websites?

Smartphones use mobile websites, eg. iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows mobile, Palm Pre  – basically any phone that has access to the internet. This includes iPads, whose uptake in New Zealand has soared. iPads (and tablets – the non-Apple versions) are also great to use on the go. iPads are not only popular with Gen Y - People over the age of 45 now account for 37% of the iPad and tablet market according to Nielsen. And why not – they are lighter and more mobile than lugging around a laptop, and easier to see than a Smartphone!   

How do I get a mobile website?

There are many website design companies who mobilise websites. Speak to your website host about this. There are also many types of mobile websites – some are better than others, so make sure that when you are investigating mobile websites, you know how it will get and display your stock and existing data? Can they host your mobile website? How much will hosting cost? Can they provide you with stats on how many leads are coming from the mobile website?  Will it be accessible across different platforms? 60% of mobile browsing is done via the iPhone, so you need your mobile site to be ‘iPhone friendly’.

Those of you with AutoBase-hosted websites, call your Account Manager now and ask them about mobilising your website!

Remember - within 2 years 50% of web traffic will come from mobile devices. Stay ahead of the game and ensure that your dealership is keeping up with the technology that your customers are using. Mobilising your website will make it easier for customers to search your stock, find your yard and make contact. 

More internet sources = more eyes on your stock = more leads = more sales.