SiteSwan - 8 Reasons Why a Mobile-Friendly Website is a MUST for Small Businesses
SiteSwan - 8 Reasons Why a Mobile-Friendly Website is a MUST for Small Businesses

8 Reasons Why a Mobile-Friendly Website is a MUST for Small Businesses

Published on April 11, 2022. Update on May 20, 2024.

When it comes to making purchases and searching for information, almost 60% of all online searches are now conducted on mobile devices. For certain industries, such as food and beverage, that number can go as high as 72%.

With a high volume of searches coming through on mobile devices, it's easy to see why it is so important for all businesses to have a mobile-friendly website. Otherwise, a business could be missing out on quite a bit of web traffic and the opportunity to bring in new customers and revenue.

In this article, we'll review everything you need to know about mobile-friendly websites, why every small business needs one, and how you can leverage SiteSwan's mobile-friendly themes to your advantage when pitching your next web design client.

Let's take a look!


Why a Mobile-Friendly Website is Important

As we already mentioned at the beginning of this article, more than half of the searches that consumers conduct are on mobile devices. While this is certainly an important reason, there are quite a few others that further support the necessity of a  mobile-friendly website including:
 
  • SEO
  • Visibility
  • User experience
  • Ease of Use
  • Competitive advantage
  • Flexible communication
  • Builds trust and credibility
  • Modern and Relevant

With so many substantial reasons, it just makes sense. But, we're not just going to leave you with a list; let's dive into each and how they play a role in improving a small business's online presence.


1. Improves SEO Ranking

One of the most important reasons to have a mobile-friendly website is that it can help improve SEO ranking. Mobile-responsive sites are more likely to rank higher in search engine results pages, so it's beneficial for businesses to have a website that is designed to be fully functional on all portable devices.

Search engines, like Google, want to provide its users with relevant and reliable search results which is why SEO and mobile-friendly websites go hand-in-hand. Websites that provide users with the information they are looking for are rewarded by getting a higher ranking on search engines.

SiteSwan's 250+ website themes are both mobile responsive and optimized for SEO. With these features already in the design, it saves you, as the web designer, a lot of time and money. Plus, they're great selling points to include in your sales pitch



2. Increases Visibility

When it comes to small business marketing, nothing matters more than visibility. Mobile optimized websites make it possible for businesses to reach a wider audience to ultimately help them grow. Mobile users can be highly influential when trying to create brand awareness. These users are much more likely to post reviews and share content from businesses they like and use on social media. Increased visibility means businesses can engage and interact with more consumers.

Businesses that have an app or e-commerce feature can further improve visibility. Consumers who shop on their mobile device tend to spend more money online because of the ability to make purchases on apps and mobile e-commerce websites. Mobile commerce sales reached nearly $2.2 trillion before the end of 2023. Wow! With this type of statistic, it would be highly advantageous for businesses to be well equipped with a mobile capable website so they can reach this marketing segment of online users.

If you have a web design client that is just starting to sell products online, SiteSwan offers an Online Store feature that can be easily integrated into any website.  



3. Improves User Experience

User experience may be one of the most important factors to consider for every small business website design. How a website functions, its load time, search capabilities, and how easy it is to navigate are all elements that contribute to a user's good or bad experience. And as already mentioned, it can also have an effect on SEO. Features of a mobile-responsive website make it easy and convenient for visitors to find the information they are looking for and make purchases.

Remember, people are quick to click and jump from one site to another so the usability of a website can leave a lasting impression on a consumer. This could also impact whether a consumer visited the business's site again or chooses to go to their competition. 



4. Ease of Use

In the simplest terms, a mobile-friendly website is easy to use. Mobile devices are basically handheld computers in which you can search for anything, at anytime, and anywhere. Not only are they accessible on various devices, they can also be viewed in landscape (horizontal) or portrait (vertical) mode giving the user more options to achieve the best experience.

Today's mobile websites are more advanced than ever before and allow small businesses to provide their customers with a great online browsing experience. Many modern mobile-friendly website designs have similar characteristics, so users are familiar and comfortable with the general format and in most cases expect this type of easy-to-use experience. 


5. Gives a Competitive Advantage

Small businesses are always trying to differentiate  themselves from their competition. For this reason, having a mobile-friendly website can be a huge advantage.

In general, a website is a necessity for all small businesses to showcase the qualities, services, or products that make them great. A mobile-friendly website further allows them to stand out from competitors, grow their audience, and increase sales. But, not all businesses understand how essential it is to have a SEO optimized mobile-friendly website.
 If a business doesn't have a responsive site design, potential customers will likely leave and navigate to a competitor's website.

With so many benefits behind it, having a mobile-responsive website design has quickly become crucial for every small business's online presence. Furthermore, mobile websites have a lot of great features that provide the business with valuable data they can use to better serve their customers. 


6. Flexible Communication

Mobile-friendly websites offer a flexible communication system. Businesses will be able to use this convenience and develop a more efficient strategy for reaching their target audience. Mobile users can enjoy all of the features that a desktop version has but with better intuitive navigation and offers on-the-spot instant gratification.

On top of that, it makes communicating with potential clients easier as well. Many responsive websites have chat systems that connect from the mobile site to a phone or desktop making it easy to help site visitors and quickly address their questions. 



7. Builds Trust and Credibility

As part of building a brand, businesses need to focus on developing trust and credibility with their audience. Printed ads used to be what everyone relied on for their marketing materials, but now all anyone does is Google the answer they're looking for. For this reason, business owners need to develop a strong online presence and establish their website to accommodate their customers.

Mobile-friendly websites are essential because of how much easier they make things for customers across numerous industries. If someone were to try to go to a website on their mobile device and find that it was not mobile optimized, a small business could potentially jeopardize their credibility as a reliable company.



8. Gives a Modern and Relevant Look

Unless you have been living under a rock, mobile-friendly websites are the new normal. Mobile use is continuing to grow exponentially and isn't going to stop any time soon.

In our digital age, users want their information fast and to have a pleasant experience in the process. A business's website should be inviting and organized. A modern and relevant look will excite users and allow them to enjoy their visit with the hopes that they will return and become or remain loyal customers.



Optimize Your Mobile Friendly Website Today

Mobile-friendly websites have quickly become an essential part of any small business marketer's plan. Not only do they offer ease of use for customers, but they also provide a flexible communication system. They help businesses build trust and credibility with their audience, and gives them a competitive advantage.

Thankfully, building a mobile-friendly website doesn't need to be difficult. All of SiteSwan's website themes are automatically optimized for desktops, tablets and smartphones right out of the box. There's no need to build a separate mobile site or to rework content for small screens. Just one more way SiteSwan saves you time and money, without sacrificing quality.

Interested in starting your own web design business with SiteSwan? Check out our website reseller program today to learn more.

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