Mobile browsing eclipses desktop browsing

Liz KeenerOctober 14, 2014

Mobile browsing has officially eclipsed desktop browsing. According to a recent comScore report, smartphones and tablets combined now account for 60 percent of all online traffic, up from 50 percent a year ago. This doesn’t mean you don’t need to stay after your full site because the other half is still browsing via their desktops, and the hardcore purchasing and inquiries are still done via the desktop.

This shift underscores the importance of having a mobile-friendly site. You see it everyday —people in restaurants, shopping malls, in their cars, really everywhere, interacting with their smartphone or tablet to research products, find a store location and share their experiences with their social networks. When a prospect sees a motorcycle cruise by, and it piques their interest, be sure your website is optimized for mobile to help that shopper’s dream become a reality.

Here’s a quick list of the elements of an optimized mobile-friendly site. Can you check all the boxes?

Do you have a dedicated mobile site and/or a responsive site design?
Is your site coded to detect a mobile device and auto-load your mobile site?
Do you have a prominently placed link on your full site to link to your mobile site and vice versa?
Is it easy to search your inventory on a mobile device?
Can visitors quickly and easily find all of the pictures for the unit they have chosen?
Is your phone number always present and in a format that only requires a touch to make a call to your dealership?
Is it easy to send an email to your dealership while looking at a motorcycle or a service page?

Having a mobile-friendly or responsive website is no longer an option — it is essential for any business. It’s important to remember that according to Google research, 85 percent of Americans are never more than three feet from their cell phones!

As an added benefit, a dealer with both a mobile-friendly website and a standard website enjoys a distinct advantage over dealers who do not. Google, Yahoo!, Bing and other search engines and directories rank mobile-optimized businesses higher than other businesses.

The good news! If you already have a standard website from an industry provider, like ARI, they can quickly get you up and running on a mobile-friendly site. If they can’t, you might want to consider finding one who can or risk losing customers to your competition.

Bob McCann is ARI Network Services’ director of education. ARI creates award-winning software solutions that help equipment manufacturers, distributors and dealers Sell More Stuff! — online and in-store. ARI removes the complexity of selling and servicing new and used inventory, parts, garments and accessories for customers in automotive tire and wheel, powersports, outdoor power equipment, marine, RV and white goods industries. More than 22,000 equipment dealers, 195 distributors and 140 manufacturers worldwide leverage our website and eCatalog platforms to Sell More Stuff!