Mobile Optimization Rules the World in 2020

I’m about to dump a metaphorical metric ton of mobile optimization stats on you, but before we get to that, I want to hit some high points and talk about the TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read) version.

First, and more important than anything else, OPTIMIZE YOUR SITE ON MOBILE.

It’s that simple.

If you’d like help, I’m happy to do a free website review for you.

Want to check your site to see if it’s mobile friendly (according to Google)?

Use Google’s free mobile optimization test tool here!

Whether you like it or not, the way your website appears on a smart phone now overshadows the rest of your online marketing. If you’re like numerous people over 35 (like me, sad face), you might be shocked at the facts that follow.

Mobile friendly is not just here to stay, it’s everything. Referring to it as “the new normal” is an understatement. Every major brand now prioritizes mobile optimization. Isn’t it time you did?

Mobile Optimization: Does Your Business Really Need It?

Many small business owners feel that they’re doing just fine without mobile optimization, usually because they either get a lot of business through referral or just because they are getting plenty of business at the moment.

But economies, business and customer demographics change. Yours is no exception.

Take a look at this chart illustrating the ALMOST 100 MILLION PERSON INCREASE  in mobile search in just 5 years! (I’m only addressing 2014-2019, as the numbers for 2020 are not finalized).

Your buyer base migrates more into “mobile only” space with every passing year, because more and more of the “wired generation” is aging into the years they’ll be purchasing from you.

When they do (and many will in 2021), you’ll miss their patronage because your website’s mobile user experience is so bad they can’t make the decisions they require  on your website.

Why?

Because it’s not mobile optimized (SEO Tip: Google now eliminates you from mobile search SERPs if your web site is not mobile friendly).

What if you pass Google’s “Mobile Friendly” test? Is that sufficient for mobile optimization in 2021? No.

Read this piece I wrote about Mobile Friendly (or not) sites.

Mobile optimized website statistics show that Google’s test is a important place to commence your mobile optimization efforts, but there are a dozen or so more variables that control how your ideal prospect will view your site.

I’ll cover that more later, but for now, let’s get to the stats.

The 37 Mobile Optimization Stats of Destiny

1. 50% of mobile search is aimed at local businesses (Search Engine Watch)
2. 66% of e-commerce time is being consumed on smartphones (Internet Retailer)
3. 50% of mobile phone consumers  frequent a retail outlet inside 24 hours of a local search on mobile (Marketing Land)
4. 70% of smart phone customers (and  77% of tablet consumers) believe the “call button” (or one click calling) to be critical on a mobile website (Clients Calling)
5. Approximately 70% of mobile customers clicked the call button to call businesses directly from Google ads  (this is a HUGE mobile search stat for you Adwords users)
6. 61% of mobile searches result in a phone call (because they’re addressed at local businesses, like yours) (Dialog Tech)
7. Over 50% of mobile consumers are in the process of researching a purchase, or seek to make a purchase when they call a business directly (Local Vox)
8. SEO Tip: More than half of all search volume results from smart phones, according to Google mobile search stats
9. 51% of searchers are more probable to purchase from a mobile optimized website (Quicksprout)
10. Google reports that 40% of mobile consumers turned to a competitor’s web site after an unsatisfactory mobile Web experience, and 57% wouldn’t recommend a business with a bad mobile website.
11. 71% of mobile searchers expect mobile site pages to load as fast or faster than desktop (Hubspot)
12. 39% of occurrences where a consumer walks out of a store without buying were influenced by a search on a mobile device. (Grabstats)
13. By 2016, 88% of local online advertising will be communicated on a mobile device (Borrell).
14. The average mobile consumer spends 127 minutes in mobile apps every day (side note: know your mobile apps vs. mobile website statistics). For perspective, that’s virtually 60 minutes more than we consume on the web, & only 41 minutes short of the 168 minutes we watch TV. (techcrunch)
15. 93.3% of small business owners’ websites aren’t mobile friendly, and an astounding 80% of consumers employ a smartphone to investigate and shop (Searchengineland)
16. Approximately 60% of Americans own a Smartphone (ABC.com)
17. The average consumer checks their smart phone 46 times a day (Time)
18. 64% of decision-makers read email on their smartphone