Are Small Businesses Evolving Fast Enough for Customers’ Mobile Needs?
The Emerging Challenge for Small Businesses
In the same week where the smallness and flexibility of small businesses is being touted in an article explaining how small specialized bookstores may outlast the giant Barnes & Noble chain, comes a report from payments firm ControlScan and TransFirst, suggesting that small businesses (those processing fewer than 20,000 e-commerce or 1 million physical card transactions annually), may be missing the boat in responding to one growing critical need: the ability to respond to a customer base increasingly seeking both information, and payment options, on mobile platforms for small business mobile optimization.
The Current State of Mobile Optimization
The report highlights that 49% of eCommerce merchants acknowledge their websites lack mobile optimization, and an additional 17% are uncertain or unaware of their site’s current mobile compatibility status.
Mobile Adoption vs. Business Response
In fact, according to a summation of the study at the BizReport website, “despite significant mobile adoption among consumers, just 31% of multi-channel businesses have a mobile optimized website.”
Understanding Multi-Channel Businesses
And by “multi-channel,” they mean, simply, “offline and online,” like nearly any physical store or business with a website. According to industry newsletter The Greensheet, “As more people switch from desktop PCs to mobile devices for banking, money transfers, and the purchase of goods and services, and as the number of first-time e-commerce customers adopts smartphones and tablets, mobile payment adoption is predicted to soar globally by 2019.”
The Lack of Awareness in eCommerce
As predicted way back in 2015, mobile website traffic because just as prevalent as desktop traffic. As we sit here today heading into 2023, mobile traffic and desktop traffic are both at a dead even 50%, meaning half of all website traffic is coming from a mobile device, as per article in “outerboxdesign” and “more than half of those who do track, can’t say if their shopping cart abandonment rate is higher on mobile than on the PC.
“Statistics say that ‘challenges during the payment process caused two-thirds of prospective mobile purchasers to abandon their online purchase.’ So yes, your mobile abandonment rate is probably higher. The sad thing is there’s something you can do about it.”
Taking Action for Mobile Optimization
One thing you can do is get in touch with your AVPS rep right way, to make sure you’re up-to-date with on-the-spot processing and other options. Remember, “mobile” in this instance means handheld devices — phones and tablets — so even if you think your website works with a desktop PC, your customers won’t be spending as much time buying and browsing on those types of screens.
Seizing Opportunities in a Mobile Environment
Which means that when opportunities arise in an increasingly “mobile” environment — say you’re a small bookseller looking to pick up customers when your local Barnes & Noble closes, for example — customers unable to access your website or purchase from you easily could pass you right by.
That’s the kind of “mobility” you don’t want! Be sure to check in with AVPS today!
