Mobile sites that load within five
seconds or less have a greater chance of converting visitors into buyers, compared with ones that take longer, according to research released Tuesday.
Not only fast load times, but consumers
want big buttons and text, less content, along with easy search features and limited scrolling and pinching of the screen. They also want quick access to business information, such as directions,
phone numbers, click-to-call features, ability to send email, download an app, and product information.
The study on what mobile users want and think about mobile friendly sites found 48% want
easy access to company's social networking page and 41% want to play a video clip about products and services. Consumer also want to find information through one or two clicks, 74% want an option to
switch to the non-mobile site, 78% want an easy-to-find search bar, 69% want big finger buttons, and 73% want non-scrolling forms with not too many fields.
Banking options also have become
important, with 77% wanting the ability to check account balances, 65% want easy access to business hours and directions, 51% look for options to pay bills, and 51% look for ways to transfer
money.
Findings from the Google study found nearly 96% of consumers have encountered sites not designed for mobile devices.
Brands that do not have a mobile site feed competitors
clients, with half admitting they will buy from the company less often if the Web site isn't mobile friendly. The study found consumers are five times more likely to abandon a task. Some 61% of users
said they move on to another site if they don't quickly find what they need, and 79% that don't like the unfriendly mobile site go back and search for another. About 66% of consumers find mobile sites
through a search engine.
The sale and the company's reputation are at stake if users become frustrated. In fact, 52% said a bad mobile experience made them less likely to do business with the
company, 48% said companies with sites that don't work well on smartphones make them feel as if their business doesn't matter, and 36% said they felt like as if they wasted their time by visiting such
sites.