You know all about engine tuning to increase performance – well, you could say the same now applies to websites. If you’re looking to attract more business to your garage, it could be you website that’s the problem.
It is safe to say that technology is changing all the time. And just when you thought that having a website would be enough, now it has become apparent that a website actually needs regular attention.
A website that was put together just a few years ago is likely to require some updating, or even fine tuning, just so it keeps up with and responds to the updates that digital devices regularly receive, and the way that search engines behave.
But it’s not only changes in technology your website needs to respond to, it also needs to keep up with how people now like to research, make buying decisions and place enquiries.
Why is this?
Because as people have gained access to more online information, gizmos, widgets and apps – their buying habits have radically changed – in just a few years in fact.
People can now organise their lives whilst sat in front of their TV, in bed, on the bus or in a café. Plus, they are using their mobile devices more and more to do this.
If your website isn’t mobile friendly, you could be missing out on enquiries and potential business.
What Google says…
This is what Sara Kleinberg, Head of Google’s ad research & insights says:
People are empowered by mobile every single day. In fact, it’s become a productivity-boosting tool.
There was a time when a trip to the doctor’s office meant you couldn’t do anything else but wait—and maybe read a six-month old magazine… But today it’s a much different experience. A quick glance around the waiting room and you’re likely see everyone looking at a smartphone.
And those people aren’t just playing Candy Crush.
Apparently 75% of people say their smartphones help them to be more productive. Some say that it provides them with immediate gratification as they are able to do all of this without being in front of a laptop and as things come to mind.
People are empowered by mobile every day. Mobile quickly delivers results when they’re impatient, provides inspiration at their fingertips when they’re curious, and gives them a personalised experience when they’re demanding one.
In their research Google identified five mind-states that people experience are drives their online searchng – these include:
A spark. This is when something either just pops into your head or you’re triggered by something you see. One consumer told us her boots, which were a couple of years old, had been wearing out. “I thought, ‘I wonder if I can still find those.’ … So I just did a search on my phone.”
An urgent need. You’re on your way home and need to pick up dinner. You run out of something and need to see if the closest store is open. Or you got a little lost so you need directions. Where do you turn? Your phone.
In-store assistance. Brick-and-mortar retailers might bristle about ‘showrooming’, when shoppers use their phones to look for better prices while they’re in the store. But they’re also using their phones to look for coupons and read reviews.
Micro-productivity. Stuck in a waiting room? Sitting in the back of a taxi? Commuting by train? Why not cross something else off your list?
Planning ahead. People are using search on their mobile devices to plan a lot of things on their phones now, from weekend excursions to trips to the shops. It’s beyond booking rooms or renting cars. They’re mapping out routes through downtown as well as obsessing over menus.
The upshot
Smartphones not only help people get things done, they give people a sense of accomplishment: 60% say they help them feel more confident and prepared.3
