I decided to write an article on how to make a mobile site since more people by numbers now have a smart phone than a high school education (in the USA). This was especially the case after researching data when deciding to help people convert a site to mobile platforms.

 

Are Mobile Websites Necessary

I think after reviewing the data and just looking around at people who are using newly enabled devices in place of personal computing that you will find mobile websites are necessary, that it is pretty obvious that people are using this platform to purchase products from website with iPhones and Android smart phones, whereas they used to just look at mostly text based content.

Convert Site to Mobile

After looking at the data, you will surely want to analyze if you should take efforts and make website mobile delivery of your content part of an overall web presence. There are quite a few ways to develop sites specifically for mobile.

WordPress Sites and Mobile Themes, Mobile Plugins

WordPress is an excellent way to go for this. You can (or probably do) have your main website on WordPress. Using a WordPress mobile plugin will provide the user agent detection you need. It might also be beneficial to work on the Mobile WordPress Theme or choose one that suits your needs. There are many designers that work with mobile website design. Just as many are the options, some are simple extensions to provide a basic function such as the WPTouch plugin, while others deliver a full array of the site content.

Find a Qualified Mobile Web Designer

This mobile website design implementation generally will be best deployed by a qualified mobile web designer with advanced skills, and will make an addition to your website that clients and customers will find shows your company has kept up with technology and is also dedicated to provided the highest level of service.

Read the Data and See if it Makes Sense

There is some incredible data below. If you match the age groups who have these computer like phones with the stats on who buys by age group on the internet…you can see if the overall profile fits your potential consumer or vistor…the information below on what they do on the web is also extremely interesting.

The Mobile User Data

Nokia announced that it had 1 million users on its application back in 2010…and with the wide array of mobile tools for WordPress, it just makes sense that this is going to be the next big push in the website design arena.

The People Using Mobile

http://www.onlinemarketing-trends.com/2011/03/top-10-smartphone-market-statistics-and.html

So, though the above statistic is shocking…here are some more precise statistics for who are actually using the mobile web:

• The USA is the Largest Market for Smart Phone Usage
• Nielsen Reported in 2010 that 31% of US Mobile Users Owned a Smart Phone and Projected this to be 43% by 2015
• Nielsen Projected 95 Million Sales in 2011, Up Approximately 30 Million!
• Morgan Stanley Research Predicts that in 2012, Smart Phones Will Outsell Personal Computers.

The Nielsen Age Breakdown Through Jan 2011
(for all browsers)

• 16% Ages 18 – 24
• 26% Ages 25 – 34
• 21% Ages 35 – 44
• 16% Ages 45 – 54
• 5% Ages 65+

eCommerce Buyer Statistics
Pew Internet and American Life Project
(From March 2011)

• 71 % of People 18 – 32 Buy Online
• 80% 32 – 44
• 72% 55 – 64

What People Do on Smartphones and the Mobile Web

• 60.2% Look for Gifts for Others
• 50.7% Check Store Hours or Try to Find a Location
• 32.5% Get Offers by Text or Similar Method
• 34.6% Read Product Reviews
• 26% Make Actual Purchases

Shop at Least Quarterly

• (18 – 30) 54%
• (31 – 44) 68%
• (45 – 54) 64%
• (55 – 65) 60%
• (66+) 48%

Total Shopping at Least Quarterly in US: 60%

Though (31 – 34) shop more often quarterly, (45 – 54) are the biggest spenders, spending an average of $647 online each 3 months.