John Marshall

Hi everyone,

I'm still thinking about moving my business towards an off-line emphasis and, possibly, offering a mobile website creation service.

Have you found that there is a real demand for mobile websites? This seems to be a lot of buzz about this subject but, in reality, have you found that businesses are actually purchasing them?

I will grateful to know what you have found regarding this and any other thoughts on the matter.

Kind regards,

John

teamversion

Google has updated its mobile search algorithm. If your site is not mobile ready then there goes your ranking. I think businesses would think about this considering most people are now using their mobile devices to surf online

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John Marshall

That's right. But, are businesses upgrading their existing sites to mobile friendly status or creating a new, separate mobile friendly website? It may be a huge ask to update an existing site to being mobile friendly.

How are businesses handling this?

kursat

I don't think it is a big deal to make an old site responsive - or mobile friendly. It only takes a few CSS coding and than the site will be mobile friendly and adjust to the viewers screen. If you are referring to a complete new design for the mobile version than they will have to pay around $300 for a small sites mobile version design.

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Hudson White

Although Google has roll out it's recent update to make your websites mobile friendly/responsive but I don't think people will go for a separate mobile website. This is because it's difficult to manage two and it's always good and recommended to make your website responsive and updated.

Just for your information Google advice to say no to NODI i.e. Non-performing, outdated, duplicate and incomplete (having broken links) content. So, it is better to change your present website and follow responsiveness.

Here's a good read for you:
Saying Goodbye To NODI - DigitalSuccessAgency

SandraSchmidt12

Yes , i think there is a demand for mobile website because mobile technology is trying to keep people engaged.They can see match scores from mobile sites, even social media is more popular now a days. Because mobile site are more user friendly.

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ChaletDM

Hi John,

In response to your question the answer is an enthusiastic "YES". Two of the main reasons are:

1) Google has just changed their search ranking system to favor mobile-friendly websites in their search results. You will find businesses who used to get a lot of customers from their traditional website but have no idea why business has dropped off. It could be that they don't have a mobile-friendly site and as a result are no longer at the top of the search result listings.

2) Traditional websites are very hard to maneuver and utilize via small devices like smart phones. As people utilize their smart phones and smaller devices more, if a company doesn't have a mobile website their customers will just "move on" to their competition that does.

All the best to you John... Hope this helps!

-Wallace

http://www.ChaletDM.com

global1967

he easiest way to get into and start selling mobile marketing services is to start with mobile websites.

1. Select a niche i.e. Hair Salons

2. Bookmark 10 non mobile friendly sites and their mobile friendly site demo versions (I use DudaMobile) on your smartphone.

3. Then simply walk into the first business on your bookmarks and say this: ''Hi can I see the business owner please?'' (Don't forget to smile throughout).

Once he/she appears, say ''Is this your website'?''

Show them the phone.

Once he/she agrees that it's their site, you take the phone back and and click on the Demo bookmark.

Show them the phone again and say, ''I build sites like this. They're easy for people to contact you or get directions with just the click of a button. Let me ask you, if your potential customer had a choice between this demo and your site, which one would he/she, feel more comfortable contacting you on? Do you think this Demo site is something that would help your business?''

If they say yes.....do the following....look at the time and say....''I have a few more appointments to get to today, when is a good time for me to drop back by and talk to you about this?''

Make an appointment. If they say no.....thank them for their time. Walk out professionally. Get in your car or on the public transport and go see the next business on your bookmarks.

Rinse and repeat.

Get fast at doing this!!

Numbers!!!!!

I probably sell about 1 site out of 10 or so visits like this.

So you could sell 1 per day like this if you put your mind to it.

Here is how you handle the sales presentation:

Sit down and assume the sale.

Show them the site again on the phone and ask them if they want more customisation.

Then ask them this, as a closing question: ''Are you ready to get the ball rolling today?''

When they say ''Yes'', state the price and ask for 50% deposit upfront, plus, ask about hosting. If they have their own hosting (most do) ask for their FTP login details so that you can insert an automatic mobile detection code. (Explain what this does).

Then tell them, you will return for the balance, when the mobile detection code is inserted into the header tags of their main website.

Thats it!!!

I have found that, walking into a business and showing them their site vs a demo works wonders. Plus, explaining that mobile visitors, will only look up their website if they want to ring up or visit so having a mobile version that can do that, with the click of a button, will improve their ''visitor to lead ratio''.

I hope that helps.

anynewsbd

If your site make people helpful then it is good

http://www.anynewsbd.com/

SaanviRao

Mobile responsive websites are in a huge demand these days. People use to go for mobile websites as mostly they are using the smartphones which helps them to access the websites from any location they are residing. Even it assist the online shoppers to use the websites easily without any hassle and to do shopping easily.

kavinSmith12

yes i think mobile user day by day increase in the world. Mobile is the way the majority of us now access the internet. A huge number of us have smartphones and tablets, and there is set to be a lot more. In just five years’ time 70% of the world’s population will be using smartphones.

samauden

People who use smartphones are rising day by day and the sales of desktop are coming down. This has become necessitated for a mobile friendly websites where your you can get huge traffic.

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kaaregarnes

Most businesses are going for responsive design, but I do think a lot of startups could do well just going mobile from the get-go.

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yogibeezy

Yes. Your website needs to be mobile friendly and responsive inorder Google rank your website.

AvidJon

Back in April 2015 Google released an algorithm update. This update boosts the ranking of mobile friendly pages for mobile search results, which makes it easier for mobile internet users to find quality and relevant results from their searches. Pages that are optimized for mobile are placed higher in search results and seen first by customers.

A few things to remember about the update:

- The update is specific to searches conducted from a mobile device
- It’s global, and it affects search results in all languages
- Individual pages are ranked, not the entire website

Jon
www.avidmobile.com

Internetjunky

There still is and will be a huge demand for mobile websites in the future, more so for businesses that provide quick services like towing, locksmiths, plumbers ...etc.


Mobile website seo is a bit different than traditional seo. If done correctly that mobile website will show up page 1 in local search results every time. Mobile websites offer quick detailed information for consumers. They usually only want contact info or directions (google map) anyway.

NilimaSarasvati

I think it's good to start with mobile website because in this tech world it's market never go down but there should be time to time updation on the service algorithm.

Thaniya

Yes, your website needs to be mobile friendly and responsive in order to rank better in Google SERP's

http://www.openwavecomp.com/mobile_a...velopment.html

ATevan22

This is good info, but most companies are just updating their existing sites to be mobile friendly.

That being said there is still a huge market for businesses that have outdated websites which is where you can make some money by building them an updated website that is also mobile friendly.

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blisonickid

As now most of the people are using mobile to visit websites so your website should be responsive so user can view website correctly

Nisip

It must be some demand for mobile websites, because this year, the number of mobile internet users
will surpass the number of desktop and laptop internet users

michael44a

Yes, everything is moving to RESPONSIVE websites and MOBILE FRIENDLY websites, but, in my experience, we have 2 websites up for the same business/client and, Google does index BOTH, but, for what every reason, they still show the NON-RESPONSIVE website on page 1, and I think the reason for this, is due to the LONGEVITY of the original website. So, for this client, we are KEEPING both websites, RESPONSIVE and the NON-RESPONSIVE. Bottom line, give the Google Monster what it wants: GREAT CONTENT!

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samblue661

i totally agree with you all , now a days you have to make you website mobile responsive so that Google did not penalize your site.

PIGGY BANK NINJA

Mobile is a must have, whether you are interested in SEO traffic from Google or wanting visitors to make ecommerce buys from your website.

iris zhao

More and more young people like surf on their smart cellphone when they are waiting for bus,train ,or queuing. So there is a demand to build mobile website.

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Jason1975

I'm also thinking of moving into offering mobile web design and mobile apps. I have seen a couple of products recently and I'm wondering if anyone has experience using them and what what you would suggest.

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ankushkohli

Mobile friendly website is indeed by everyone now!

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Tim Zager

John

To answer some of your questions you posted here and elsewhere about mobile sites... I'll share my personal experience in this space.

>>>> Is there a demand for mobile websites?

Most businesses do not think they need one. But, once you show the value and WHY they need one (especially since Google announced mobile-friendliness as a ranking factor) then YES, businesses are buying them.

>>>>Are businesses upgrading their existing sites to mobile friendly status or creating a new, separate mobile friendly website?

Both. It could be as simple as adding a mobile-friendly plugin to a Wordpress site to make it responsive. Someone in this thread mentioned you could modify the CSS to reformat screens to fit mobile screens and tablets.Or if the site is outdated, a complete overhaul with a responsive framework.

A responsive site is typically preferred so you only have to manage updates on one site. Many developers would like you believe that Google gives precedence to mobile responsive sites over standalone sites. THIS IS NOT TRUE. Google clearly states that a standalone site can be given as much credibility as a responsive site....IF... you follow Google's developer guidelines.

With my business model, I approach businesses that have an established website, with no mobile presence. If they're not ready or able to rebuild the entire site, I build a stand alone HTML5 website hosted on the same domain. Either in a subdomain or subdirectory. They are directed to the full desktop version or the mobile version via simple redirect code. Private message me if you would like to see some live samples.

>>>>How does someone who is not a great salesperson go about selling mobile websites to businesses?

When I started doing this 2 years ago I spent a LOT of time on the phone, calling biz owners who had a website, but no mobile site. I used a very short, simple script. Nothing fancy, but it worked for me. I learned a lot from Jason Kanigan's posts and trimmed my call to a point where I could identify a prospect within 20 seconds. I'll PM what I have if you want it.

Bottom line...HUSTLE. Hardcore stay on the phones until I got good and just GRIND. After building about 8-10 sites I started getting mostly referrals.

>>>>Will the local business truly benefit from a mobile website? Will it really bring in additional business?

There is no magic bullet. Being mobile-friendly *IS now an important factor in getting ranked better in the search engines. There are studies showing ranking improvements by being mobile friendly. Do a search through the site searchengineland(dot)com to see how developers are reporting results. I price my sites in such a way that most businesses only need one or two additional sales to pay for the site.

A business owner needs to understand you can help improve his chance of getting found, but it's the business owner's job to sell his product to the prospect!

qamarqrsh

Yes, Google mentioned on there articles mobile friendly site will help us to rank better and now you can check if your site is responsive or not!

https://www.google.com/webmasters/to...bile-friendly/

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MrIMVO

At the risk of sounding obvious it seems fair to say that smbs have all heard about and know the value of a having a mobile site or have decided they don't need one. SOME have taken action to get one - either stand-alone or responsive. Not ALL businesses have mobile sites.

With SO MANY businesses out there the tough part is finding the ones who don't have a msite and can be sold (again, this is nothing new). Some niches were quicker to realize the value of an msite (locksmiths for example) and the niche isn't really worth pursuing. A search of locksmiths w/ msites shows about 80% - 90% already have a mobile solution.

FINDING the niche, or having a way to produce leads is the toughest part, but it can be done. There are thousands of businesses without an msite. You just have to FIND them.

Once you do then either sell them an inexpensive quick fix with a stand-alone msite or upsell to a full Responsive site.

I hope that helps without sounding patronizing. It's not that msite creation is 'done', it's that it takes more time to find leads.

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stackman

Most websites are experiencing a rapid move to mobile traffic, as much as 50%-75% depending on topic. The easy way to address that traffic is by making web sites "responsive" or creating a mobile-friendly version of the site -- as opposed to creating a totally different mobile-only site. Unfortunately, simply formatting a traditional web site in such a way that it kind of fits on a small screen is not a good answer. Mobile users are different. They want reduced content, videos, quick answers, and they don't stick around long. This is going to be a major challenge for those of us accustomed to building traditional web sites.

angelicabambs

If you don’t give customers what they want i.e. easy visibility and navigation so they can browse and shop while mobile, they’ll go someplace else. Google will recognise that your site is not mobile friendly and be less likely to display it as a legitimate search result.

When a customer visits your website on their mobile device and have a hard time finding information they need, you run the risk of losing them.

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bcgeek

Absolutely agree. Although managing multiple sites sounds like a pita ( pain in the a**), the site owner should ask why they have a site in the first place. You MAY be able to keep it a one, but at what cost? Do you want mobile customers or not? If you can serve all with one, then great. Otherwise, focus your mobile site on mobile customers and you'll do much better.

joncoates89

I suggest going for it. What I have found is using the multi pronged attack in marketing is the best way to reach whatever market we seek results with. Is there any reason why you are only going for just the offline emphasis rather than just doing both?

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onehalf

Yes, there is a demand for mobile websites. Most search engines these days give more value to responsive and mobile ready websites.

HCDdaking

Bette you create a mobile responsive website.You need to provide 100% easy service to your customers. you know some businesses created mobile apps for their business also.After you check the mobile responsive site is not good enough you can try separate mobile web site.But first try cheaper way :)

AmazingWar

Mobile technology provides access to people for using company data and resources without being fixed at a single location. Businesses can also benefit from the mobile websites as it will increase their productivity and profitability.

New technologies can be accessed through mobile websites which has lead to new ways of working thus new products and services are offered to your customers. They can make the team more efficient, creative and more valuable to the clients. Mobile websites enable the customers to pay for services or goods without you having to swipe a credit or use cash.

There are large numbers of different mobile websites and nowadays these mobile websites are widely used by people. Mobile technology is helpful in increased profitability and increased productivity.

Mobile technology is used for different aspects such as networking and communication, development, marketing, commerce. In commerce mobile technology is used for mobile ticketing, mobile loyalty cards and vouchers, content purchase and delivery, location-based service, information service, mobile banking, mobile purchase and much more.

You should also note that there are different useful mobile technology solutions provided such as mobile infrastructure, mobile commerce solutions, mobile website, GPS tracking solution and much more.

IdosellShop

51% of online sale in UK is done on mobile devices- yes- China and Japan probably more

loyalie

If you are website owner you should transform your website to a mobile responsive website. Nowadays mobile responsive sites get a higher rank in search results when compared to the non-responsive sites. And also mobile users always prefer responsive sites because they will get the right information in the right way by viewing a responsively designed website. So it is highly recommended that you should use a mobile responsive website for your business.

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Mehdib

We have over 50 clients from small to big, first things first that mobile is now a requirement for every business website and not an option anymore. World is going to revolve around mobile very soon (if not already is parts) so every business needs a mobile website.
Now to your question for the mobile friendly website, a complete new website for mobile or making the current website responsive?
that depends of course to the client, their website and what they want to achieve, I have seen this trend that the smaller firms with websites acting as catalogs without specific functionality (only informative and a conversion tool) it is not worth it to have a complete new website for mobile. Someone mentioned 300$ !!!!! for a complete new website which I must say impossible for a custom designed website. Anyway on the other hand if there is specific functionality such as e-commerce or other tools, clients are keen to have a custom solution so they can make sure it is working perfectly.

You are moving to the right direction with mobile, but you need to be convincing, this means can you answer this question: Why would I give my website to you to make it mobile friendly, when I can go to the current developer who wrote the code to do it?

Good luck

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Works as digital marketing manager at ID printers

jeja7676

I've made a separate mobile version of my website, and to be honest, can't recall the last time I made an update of it. So, try to make single responsive version. That's the only right way to do it. Handling two versions at the same time is something you will not do in practice. trust me.