Is Your Dealership Following the Mobile First Web Design Philosophy? If not, Read This!
Did you know that 85% of adults believe a company's mobile website should be as good or better than its desktop website? While 57% of internet users claim they won't suggest a company if their mobile website is poorly developed. Not only that, but search engines like Google also reward websites that are mobile-friendly.
Still unsure about whether you need to create a website with mobile users in mind? Consider this: almost two billion individuals ACCESS the internet ONLY through their mobile devices, according to the most recent CNBC numbers. That represents 51% of all mobile phone users worldwide. And it is anticipated that this percentage would rise to 72.5% by 2025.
That indicates that millions of users have switched from desktops or laptops to mobile devices at this same moment. It is now even more crucial to ensure that your site is mobile device tested because so many users are accessing it.
Consumers nowadays shop for an automobile while holding a gadget. They're using mobile devices to investigate before buying, whether they're on the sofa, in bed, or already at a dealership. You might know this because you've seen it at your own dealership, but research backs it up:
- According to Comscore research released this week, an average of 6.6 million customers used mobile devices for automobile research each month in the first half of 2020, with 3.5 million using desktop computers.
- Facebook found that 71% of all respondents use mobile during the auto purchase process.
- Nearly 60% of the Facebook study respondents said that in the future, their smartphone will likely be the only device they use for vehicle research in the future.
- Car research is twice as high on mobile devices as on desktops, which isn’t surprising given that mobile usage surpassed desktop usage in 2016.
- Finally, women were also more likely to use a mobile device for car shopping (43% who did so in the first half) than a desktop (33%).
For Automotive Research, Smartphones Outperform Tablets: More than half (53%) of automobile online customers search for information on a mobile device. Smartphones outnumber tablets (37% vs. 33%, respectively) in 2016. Desktop or laptop computer use is still the most prevalent (92%), but it has been progressively declining from 99% in 2012. As a result, the share of time spent shopping on mobile devices continues to rise, accounting for 33% of overall shopping time. So, why do so many dealers create their websites with mobile devices as an afterthought, given the use of mobile devices in the auto-purchasing process?
How Mobile Plays Into Auto Shopping
A little over one-third (34%) of new-vehicle buyers who use social media to research automotive topics upload a photo of their new car to a social media platform. Facebook has 88% of all posts, with Instagram coming in second place with 21%.
You must focus on the content of your website and consider it from a mobile user's perspective if you want mobile first. Because of the limited area on smaller screens, the most important components should be the most obvious because that's what your users will initially search for.
The problem with websites that don't give mobile users priority
Customers will leave your website if it isn't mobile-friendly. A page that doesn't fit on a customer's smartphone or tablet screen will cause them to quickly close the browser tab. It's a big no-no, to put it simply. However, you may go beyond simply making your website accessible from mobile devices. You can genuinely design your website to load quickly on mobile devices.
The Mobile Priority
The "mobile first" approach in web design exhorts designers to create websites first for mobile devices and then make them responsive for desktop computers and tablets. It was introduced some ten years ago and has been rapidly gaining popularity, essentially turning web design on its head. Developers occasionally design web pages with desktop functionality, including pop-up banners, widgets, interactive buttons, and other elements with plenty of motion. The website is then modified for mobile devices, with functionality removed and pages made to fit on a small screen. But mobile first means that developers start by considering how a user might interact with the page using just a fingertip. That changes everything about how a website is built.
Why it Matters
What impact have websites designed for mobile devices had? Less visitors are turned away by poor website design. Additionally, more visitors stay on your website for longer. More leads, visits, and sales result from this. Don't forget that Google prioritizes mobile-optimized websites in search results. You have a better chance of appearing higher on Google's search results if your website and its pages are optimized.
Our Thoughts
With the advancement of technology, mobile phones have eclipsed standard PC's as the go-to for the vast majority of buyers to find the vehicle they're looking for. Looking at the trend, it's quite obvious that it will continue to shift in this direction. With that being said, the industry needs to realize this trend and follow suit, so they have a better possibility to capture those customers. Mobile traffic is steadily growing and is not likely to reach a plateau anytime soon. Making your website mobile-friendly is insufficient to retain customers on your site since they desire simple and enjoyable browsing and purchasing experience. Start creating your website with mobile users in mind to provide them the greatest experience possible; both Google and your site visitors will appreciate it and reward you for it.
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