Often times I get phone calls or emails asking if it makes sense to take the plunge into the mobile site market. Here are a few tips to help you decide if it’s right for you and what route to take:

3. Research. First you need to determine if mobile is worth your time. To do this, review your Google Analytics, and specifically look at the devices and platforms that your visitors are using when viewing your website. You can gain a lot of insight from this data, like what percentage of your clients are using mobile devices or tablets. If the number is over 30%, I’d recommend investing in a mobile solution for your website. If the number is between 10% and 30%, then you may want to take a deeper look at what they are viewing on your site, and then decide if the return on investment is there. If under 10%, it’s likely you don’t need a mobile solution at this time.

2. Identify the right solution for you. There is a big difference between a mobile site and a mobile application. A mobile site usually features a very different design than the rest of your website, focusing on very straightforward calls to action, like a clickable phone number and very few images, if any.

On the other hand, many folks know what a mobile application is; however, most folks aren’t sure if they should get an app versus a mobile version of their website. When the site has a great deal of database interactions, it is more ideal to use an app, however this is the most costly version of a mobile solution, so you really want to review your return on investment.

1. Rule of test. It’s important to understand why you want a mobile website. There are two questions to ask yourself. Question 1 – can you make more money from a mobile version? If you invest in mobile, will that directly result in more client calls or more contact form submissions? If so, you need to figure out how long it will take your mobile site to pay for itself. You can calculate this easily if you know your average sale price. How many sales would it take to pay for a $1000 investment into a mobile site? How long will it take you to make that many sales? There is your answer.

On the other hand, if your answer is no,  if your mobile site would NOT be bringing in more money, then you need to ask yourself Question 2 – why are you still determined to go mobile? Maybe you care about making your site really easy to access, or maybe you just want to keep up with technology. In these cases, responsive web design is usually the most cost-efficient strategy compared to a mobile site or app. You need to pick the route that makes the most sense for your business.

Ultimately, only you the decision maker can decide if mobile is right for you (with our help and guidance). If you want some help deciding which route to take, give me a call at my office, I’d be happy to walk you through this.