Friday, August 29, 2014

Last November, something momentous happened in the world of marketing and you may not have even noticed: mobile platforms surpassed desktop computers in terms of where consumers access online content.

According to digital research firm comSc ore , American consumers now spend 60% of their time online accessing content from mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets. They are reading emails on mobile, accessing maps, social networking and checking websites. And if you do not have a website that is optimized for mobile, then you are letting leads fall through your fingers.

Personal injury and criminal defense attorneys especially need to have mobile websites, since it is far more likely your services will be needed when a mobile device is the only convenient one at hand. Research shows that 40% of mobile searches are local, and 81% of those searches lead to action -- a phone call or email to your firm.

If someone gets pulled over for a DUI or is in a car accident, it is highly likely they will be pulling out their phones to search for a local attorney. If your website is not optimized for mobile -- making it difficult to navigate or even find a number to call --- you will have just missed a great opportunity to get a new client.

Converting your website to mobile can be done very affordably using online tools from providers like Mo bify , MobiSit eGalore , Wir enode or Mof use . Hosting of your mobile website usually costs less than $20/month.

You may also want to consider using responsive web design, which instantly recognizes whether someone is trying to access your site via a desktop computer or mobile device and serves up the appropriate version. Using responsive web design to integrate all your sites into one fully responsive website provides you with full functionality on any device, single site management and enhanced search engine optimization.

In today’s hyper-competitive legal services marketplace, optimizing your website for mobile can provide you with a true competitive advantage as well as more qualified leads. Without it, you are essentially turning prospects away.