A little while back it was time for my family to get new cell phones. Our oldest children upgraded to the latest and greatest Apple and Droid products, I chose a slick Droid with a pull out keyboard (I have found them easier to type on) and we were looking for a simple, non-web enabled cell phone for our youngest to use for text and calls. I was astonished to find that the phone selection in this category was severally limited and extremely over priced. As parents, we decided to wait another year before making a cell phone purchase for our youngest and, when she is a little bit older, then getting her a smartphone.
What struck me most about this scenario is if the cell phone manufacturers are cutting back on producing non-web enabled phones for purchase, what does this mean for small business? After researching the statistics it was apparent that the number of smart phone users are growing exponentially. According to eMail Marketing Reports (www.email-marketing-reports.com) Nielsen reported that 46% of cell phone owners in the US have a smartphone as of 4Q2011; ComScore estimates that the average US smartphone ownership is 98 million people during this time; and a Pew Internet Project survey from February 2012 found that 46% of US adults owned a smartphone with the figure increasing to 71% among 25-34 year-olds.
Considering the statistics, if you are a business owner, and you have a website,is it enabled for mobile browsers? I know myself that almost all my internet surfing is now done via my smartphone. I use it to look up addresses, "google" products, read emails, check the weather, track my weekly exercise, etc. I also know how frustrating it is when I search for a businesses website, and it is not enabled for my phone browser. The page is huge, the print is tiny, and it is frustrating to maneuver. So I usually skip that website and look for another that fits my phone screen.
I am sure my experience is not unique, so my question to you all is, how many potential customers are turning away from your website because it is not enabled for a smartphone? If you have not already done so, I encourage you to talk to your website developer and get this done. Do not miss out on this growing market. Not only will it be easier for your customers to utilize your website, you will also be on the cutting edge of this growing trend...ahead of many of your competitors! You do not want your customers thinking you are old fashioned or, even worse, not ever giving your business a chance in the first place.
If you need help finding a website developer, the Athens Small Business Development Center can provide you with local resources. Call or email me today to set up an initial consultation. As always, our consulting services are FREE and CONFIDENTIAL.
If you want to learn more about our services, go to our website at www.GeorgiaSBDC.org.
Happy September!
What struck me most about this scenario is if the cell phone manufacturers are cutting back on producing non-web enabled phones for purchase, what does this mean for small business? After researching the statistics it was apparent that the number of smart phone users are growing exponentially. According to eMail Marketing Reports (www.email-marketing-reports.com) Nielsen reported that 46% of cell phone owners in the US have a smartphone as of 4Q2011; ComScore estimates that the average US smartphone ownership is 98 million people during this time; and a Pew Internet Project survey from February 2012 found that 46% of US adults owned a smartphone with the figure increasing to 71% among 25-34 year-olds.
Considering the statistics, if you are a business owner, and you have a website,is it enabled for mobile browsers? I know myself that almost all my internet surfing is now done via my smartphone. I use it to look up addresses, "google" products, read emails, check the weather, track my weekly exercise, etc. I also know how frustrating it is when I search for a businesses website, and it is not enabled for my phone browser. The page is huge, the print is tiny, and it is frustrating to maneuver. So I usually skip that website and look for another that fits my phone screen.
I am sure my experience is not unique, so my question to you all is, how many potential customers are turning away from your website because it is not enabled for a smartphone? If you have not already done so, I encourage you to talk to your website developer and get this done. Do not miss out on this growing market. Not only will it be easier for your customers to utilize your website, you will also be on the cutting edge of this growing trend...ahead of many of your competitors! You do not want your customers thinking you are old fashioned or, even worse, not ever giving your business a chance in the first place.
If you need help finding a website developer, the Athens Small Business Development Center can provide you with local resources. Call or email me today to set up an initial consultation. As always, our consulting services are FREE and CONFIDENTIAL.
If you want to learn more about our services, go to our website at www.GeorgiaSBDC.org.
Happy September!
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