Why Are Mobile Friendly Websites Necessary for Law Firms?
By 2013, mobile phones are expected to overtake desktop PCs as the most common Web access device worldwide according to Gartner Research. With increasing numbers of people accessing the Internet through mobile devices such as iPhones, law firms need to keep pace by offering the formats that best complement the visitor’s access device. A website that displays correctly on mobile phones is one of the many ways a law firm can stand out in today’s competitive marketplace.
Surveys and statistics show a clear trend of mobile device growth. ComScore reports that, as of February 2010, 234 million Americans owned a mobile phone, or approximately 76 percent of the U.S. population. Out of that 76 percent, an estimated 19 percent owned a Smartphone, giving those users the ability to access the Internet from the palm of their hand.
The number of Smartphone users is expected to triple within two years. What does that mean to your law firm? It means that more than half of all mobile phone subscribers (prospective clients) will have instant access to the Internet — even when they are miles from their laptop or desktop computer. New technologies such as Google TV will also further increase mobile device usage.
As this wave of mobile Web users continues to grow, a law firm’s mobile website should grow with it by offering prospective clients an optimal viewing experience. An unformatted site will provide the mobile visitor jumbled text and pictures and they will have to scroll and zoom just to find your contact information. Mobile users are typically prepared to make fewer clicks than users accessing sites from a PC, therefore, patience for unformatted sites will surely run thin. That’s why it is important to offer attractive, easy to read pages that are specifically designed for the mobile environment. To see an example of a mobile website developed by Consultwebs.com, Inc., please enter www.mesotheliomahelp.net into your mobile Web browser.
A law firm’s mobile website should provide all of the relevant information found on your main site. It should be developed in an easily viewable format that is customized to fit smaller screen resolutions. Your firm should include its office location(s), multiple call-to-actions and contact forms. Video can also be featured. Reach out today to this growing client base by offering a clean, convenient and informative mobile website. Contact us at marketing@consultwebs.com or 1-800-872-6590.
Dale Tincher says:
September 7, 2011 at 2:09pmAn August 2011 Pew report stated, “Mobile phones have become a near-ubiquitous tool for information-seeking and communicating: 83% of American adults own some kind of cell phone. These devices have an impact on many aspects of their owners’ daily lives.” The report also stated, “the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that, during the 30 days preceding the interview: Cell phones are useful for quick information retrieval (so much so that their absence can cause problems) – Half of all adult cell owners (51%) had used their phone at least once to get information they needed right away. One quarter (27%) said that they experienced a situation in the previous month in which they had trouble doing something because they did not have their phone at hand.
Cell phones are an important tool in emergency situations – 40% of cell owners said they found themselves in an emergency situation in which having their phone with them helped.” See the report at
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Cell-Phones/Key-Findings.aspx