Research shows nearly 80 percent of smartphone owners are smartphone shoppers, and according to NetBiscuits, over three-quarters of those people won’t even use a website on their phone if it has not been optimized for mobile use. Roughly a third of those discontent phone shoppers will leave your confusing site and head directly to the competition. These numbers underscore the importance of having a website that is optimized for use across multiple devices, but what does making that change actually entail?

Responsive Web Design

If you don’t want to create separate websites for every device your clients might be using, consider using responsive web design. This tactic involves a special coding technique that adjusts a webpage to a user’s device. Whether your clients are using a T-mobile smartphone or an iPad tablet, your site will automatically adjust to give them the best browsing experience possible.
If you don’t know code, you can still make your own responsive website using a tool like Webflow. This drop and drag website builder allows you to create customized websites. As you create your design, the program writes the code in the background, ensuring that your site will be easy to access from absolutely any device.

Dedicated Mobile Websites

Responsive website design is the most effective option if you have a relatively simple site. If you want to branch out beyond basic text and pictures, you probably need to create a dedicated mobile website in addition to your main site. That allows you to have all of the bells and whistles–pop-ups, flash videos, and interactive features–you need on your main website without cluttering up your mobile website with programs that most smartphones don’t understand.
When you create two websites, you can focus on navigation, ease of form submission and streamlined interactions. The other advantage of having a dedicated mobile site is that you can include features that make sense for someone browsing on their phone. For instance, you can integrate features like tap to call, links to directions and social media feed. If you already have a main site, services like DudaMobile can help you modify that page into a mobile optimized page.

Retail Apps

Rather than just giving your customers an interactive mobile-optimized website or something that they can use from their tablets, consider giving them an app. Data from MarketingCharts.com indicates that consumers devoted around a quarter of their online time to retail apps. In order for your app to be successful, however, it needs to be innovative and useful.
Your clients need a compelling reason to download and use your app. What can you give them that the competition can’t? Can they use your app to pre-order at your restaurant? Can they shop for products and ask questions via your app?
When creating your app, think about the most successful retail apps and the value that they give their clients. For instance, people are likely to download bank apps because they let them deposit their paychecks using their phone camera. If the app wasn’t able to offer anything extra, there would be no point in using it. By increasing the amount of devices from which a customer can reach your website, you boost your exposure, and ultimately, you create more money for your business.