I think the first time I heard someone predict it would be “the year of mobile” (with a straight face) was 2010. Even then, it was something of a fantasy, not only because smartphone technology and tablets were still in relative infancy, but also because few websites catered for a mobile customer experience.
Fast forward to 2014 and the landscape looks very different. 4G has arrived in earnest, an average smartphone has more processing power than the Apollo space rockets and most importantly, businesses are taking mobile traffic to their website seriously. It is because of this that Zoocha held our first client seminar about “Mobile Optimisation and the Importance of Responsive Design” back in March 2014. For those unlucky few that missed the great event, this blog post provides a little catch up!
Digital Natives
The accelerated adoption of mobile technology as a preferred way of accessing the internet is certainly due in no small part to the rise of technology mentioned above. However, access to technology has historically started with a few enthusiastic ‘early adopters’ before spreading to wider society. The adoption of mobile internet usage has been far more rapid and we predict that this acceleration will continue, fuelled by what we describe as digital natives. Unlike me, a crusty old 37 year old who remembers a time when public phone boxes represented the pinnacle of mobile communications, the emerging consumer has been brought up on a diet of digital technology, internet and mobile phones. Try describing life at University without a mobile phone to a 21 year old graduate! I have and it felt as if I was describing an episode from Downton Abbey. They simply don’t understand it. Digital technology for them is a given, so adoption of new technology is natural.
Thrive, Survive or Dive
If we are correct and 2014 is the year of mobile, then it has dramatic implications for any business that does not address their mobile customer experience. This is already evident in their analytics. Part of our seminar was to demonstrate through empirical evidence that given the growth in mobile traffic and the fact that without optimisation, the conversion rate on mobile is lower (often less than half) that of desktop traffic, e-commerce revenue will start to decline… THIS YEAR… unless action is taken. This is a wake up call to anyone who thinks ‘the year of mobile’ is still just a sound bite from some floppy haired digital soothsayers!
Responsive Design
The solution that Zoocha advocate is responsive design. In other words, providing the best customer experience, regardless of device or technology. Hayley, our Design Director, gave a detailed analysis of some of our favourite responsive websites to demonstrate how responsive design can be applied to ensure that every visitor to your site experiences the customer experience you want to deliver.
Want your website to be responsive? Get in touch.