Majority of companies have not optimised their sites for mobile

Accessing web sites via mobile devices has become increasingly common and popular over the past few years. It was reported recently that more users are also using either mobile phones, tablets, or laptops to access the storefronts of online retailers to make their purchases.

Aside from online shopping, many users generally find it convenient to access certain sites or check their email on the go on their mobile devices when they’re on the go, as opposed to having to find an Internet cafe or business centre to conduct their business.

So it comes as a bit of a surprise when a study revealed that approximately 70% of companies have still not taken action to optimise their websites for mobile users. Moreover, 84% of surveyed firms responded that they were not designing or formatting marketing emails for viewing on mobile devices. There is a lot of business and potential in the mobile broadband sector, and it is probably high time for these companies to get a move on with the mobile-optimised versions of their sites.

This was revealed in the research from RedEye and Econsultancy Conversion Rate Optimization Report 2011. The study also stated that only 28% of companies and 30% of agency clients said that they made use of mobile phones when they tested out their web sites or viewed their marketing emails. These figures dip even lower for tablet optimisation: 16% of company respondents and 17% of agency clients.

RedEye’s CEO, Mark Patron, stated: “Accepting that consumers often use multiple devices to access email and Internet, if the content is not optimised for the media it directly impacts conversion. For customers trying to view a full scale website on their phone, it’s not just frustrating, it’s all too-easy to head elsewhere to a properly optimised site.”

Of the marketers interviewed, 25% stated that they were satisfied with their online conversion rates. And even though optimising emails for viewing on mobile devices might increase these rates a lot, only 14% of companies and 24% of agencies are currently doing it.

Source – The Drum