Does Your Company Need A Mobile Website?

With more than 100 million people accessing the web via iPhones, iPads, Droids, Blackberries and other smart phone-type devices, the market is just too big to ignore.

Like search engine optimization and social media profiles – or even traditional websites themselves, for that matter – mobile business websites are quickly becoming one of those online marketing tools that most companies have to have simply to keep up with the competition.

But how far do you have to go? Is it enough to have a mobile business website, or do you need mobile e-commerce as well?

The answer depends a great deal on what kind of business you have. Restaurants, theaters, clubs, bowling alleys, and other “on the go entertainment” types of venues would be wise to feature things like daily specials, online coupons, and especially QR codes to attract new business, since each of these can grow revenue and enhance customer loyalty very quickly.

For online retailers, the situation is similar: Because so many customers might be coming in via web-ready mobile devices, going without that functionality means potentially missing out on sales. Since e-commerce is all about convenience, letting shoppers reach you in whatever way is most convenient to them is just good business.

What about other businesses – the kind that might sell products online, but don’t focus solely on e-commerce as a cornerstone of their revenue? Here, things get a little cloudier.

The bottom line, when it comes to mobile, is that the mobile market isn’t just growing… it’s already verging on huge. If you have the kind of customers that are as likely to be on an iPhone as on a laptop – and lots of us do – then it’s time to take mobile seriously.