Mobile websites are no longer a luxury, they are a necessity. The need for fast information and the easy availability of smartphones have collided with the majority of people finding local service providers through online searches. With mobile internet usage expected to surpass that of desktops this year, maintaining a mobile friendly site has become more important than ever.
According to Latitude Research, 45% of people claim to discover new local places on mobile devices and 61% of people claim to form a better opinion of a brand or business when it has an attractive mobile site. There is tremendous potential for your practice to thrive in popularity and grow in patient numbers by embracing the mobile site.
Some of the benefits that come from these mobile friendly sites include:
Quick and easily accessible information
Mobile sites provide easy access to information on a medium that improves user experience. On a mobile device, a mobile-friendly website is far more appealing both aesthetically and functionally than a non-mobile friendly site. Users can forego the zoom function because the information is formatted in a way that makes it easy to access. This increases the average amount of time users will spend navigating your website.
Increased mobile traffic
With the popularity of social media today, patients are also likely to find your name advertised through Instagram, or on other mobile platforms. This means their introduction to your practice will be on a mobile device. By discounting the benefits of a mobile friendly site, you expose your practice to the potential loss of both prospective and returning patients. According to Invesp, 40% of users will switch to a competitor’s site or conclude the use of a site after a bad mobile experience. Also, keep in mind that last June, Google announced that non-mobile websites would drop in rank in mobile searches. Without a mobile friendly site, your practice listing will fall in its search ranking, which will decrease the amount of traffic that flows through your practice’s website. Alternately, after a good mobile experience, users are more likely to return to your site, which will convert curious visitors into actual patients.
Increased patient engagement
95% of people with smartphones use their device to search for local information, which creates potential for your practice to attract new patients. According to Google, smartphones have the highest number of daily user interactions of any technology. This means they serve as the most common tool to perform spontaneous searches. The instant gratification and sense of fulfillment that comes with this type of search gives users the ability to accomplish tasks efficiently, effectively and in a relatively leisurely manner. Using a mobile device allows users to discover new and necessary information in real time. This emphasis on real time means that patients can access a website in a momentary, spontaneous search which increases the likelihood of them to frequent your site. Like you, patients are always multi-tasking or multi-screening in an effort to save time. With that in mind, it is also important that your mobile site loads fast and efficiently.
Ultimately, mobile websites generate more interaction because they are viewed on a mobile device and when patients perform an action on a mobile device, it increases the probability that they will act outside the device. In other words, patients are more likely to visit your practice and establish a successful and potentially long standing relationship with you!
