Is your business ready for the surge in mobile search?

Do you know what mobile search is?

More and more people are now buying smart phones like the Apple iPhone. This trend is especially strong in the UK.

Currently around 32% of mobile phones in the UK are smart phones, but this is predicted to rise to 75% by 2015

What does this mean..?

It means that more and more people are searching for "stuff" on their phone whilst out and about.

For example, you're in town, you fancy tapas, you get out your smart phone and "Google" tapas restaurants. You find the nearest one and go eat!

Another example: You're at the beach, your kid has lost her sun hat. You cannot see a shop nearby, so you get out your smart phone and search for sun hats. You find the nearest shop and go get one!

Yet another example: You're on the Golf course, the wife phones in a panic because the shower is leaking. You need a plumber ASAP... So you get out your smart phone, you search for nearby plumbers, you call them straight away and get them to your house.

Now of course, in these examples there are alternative ways you can find the information you want. You can use a 118 service, although I find the quality of these varies a lot between services (as well as the price). You can phone a friend!. You can find a desktop PC to find the info that you need.

However more and more people are not using these traditional methods, they are using their smart phones and this is showing as a definite trend that is only going up!

On mothers day 2011 33% of searches came from mobile devices!

Another key feature to note about mobile search is that it is done because people want to take action.

On your desktop computer you might be looking for a restaurant to eat at some time soon, however when people are searching on a mobile device, they probably want to eat now.

In addition around 50% of mobile searches have a local intent - that is, people are looking stuff nearby!

But how does this apply to you I hear you ask!

Well of course as a top notch business you already have a great website (and if not why not!!!)

But is your website mobile friendly?

How does it look, feel and behave on a mobile device?

Does it even work properly on a mobile device?

Don't forget, someone searching on a mobile is more likely to take action based on the search results. They may be performing the search whilst walking along and using one thumb to navigate your page. If they cannot find out who you are, where you are, and how to contact you, quickly and easily they may well move on to the next business, and you've just lost a lead/prospect/customer!

So you should review you site and check how it works on a smart phone. You may need to do some optimisation of it. You may need to implement some responsive design techniques.

It may even be appropriate to have a whole new distinct mobile website design that really focuses on hooking in customers.

But as usual on the interwebs the only thing you must not do, is nothing!