Monday Morning Mobile: Market Penetration

Each time I attend a real estate event, it becomes more and more obvious that the mobile revolution is upon us and in full swing. While many have never questioned this for Generation Y, the jury was still out on Baby Boomers and Generation X.

However, last week I had the opportunity to attend the 2012 MLSLI Tech Fair and I was thoroughly impressed by the genuine interest in and excitement about the new mobile tools (phones and tablets) and the access to information they provide, by let's face it, an audience who is predominantly not Generation Y.

My father is perfect example of this demographic--a relatively recent smartphone adopter who didn't truly appreciate the power of his device until recently. After blowing his back out and quickly becoming bored with staring straight up at the ceiling, he found solace in downloading Netflix and HBO GO apps, and being able to stream movies and TV shows to take his mind off the pain. This is a good unintended consequence of an otherwise unpleasant experience; an awakening to what these devices can do and the access to information and content they can offer.

According to Shareaholic, mobile traffic has increased 27% this year, based on a study of 200,000 publishers who reach 300 million people each month. They also state that mobile traffic now accounts for roughly 16% of total traffic. Both statistics stand to increase. As older demographics that have previously resisted mobile technologies begin to not only adopt them, but welcome them with open arms, the pace at which these statistics increase will increase dramatically, as well.

Unfortunately, it's not all roses for the world of mobile according to Shareaholic. Mobile users still have a higher bounce rate and view fewer pages than desktop users. Both of these can not only be avoided, but flipped when a mobile site is in place. Yet many sites, both within and outside of the real estate industry, are not formatted for use on a mobile device.

Mobilizing your assets, in particular your website, was one of the main items of discussion at last week's Tech Fair. Google offers a number of mobile best practices, of which the top three are:

1. Keep it quick
2. Make it easy to convert (contact you)
3. Simplify navigation

There are of course many things that go into creating a quality mobile experience, but it starts with creating one. To see how your site stacks up on a mobile device visit TestMySiteNow.com.