According to Google, 94 percent of people in United States with smartphones search for information on their phones. Surprisingly, 77 percent of mobile searches occur at work or at home – places where desktop computers are likely to be present. It’s safe to say that we all rely on our smartphones — for everything from social media to online shopping (26 percent of purchases during Black Friday 2015 were made on mobile devices).
Increasingly, people are also turning online to make donations, so it’s crucial to make sure visitors have a good experience on your site when they’re visiting from their laptop as well as their mobile devices.
If a mobile site is not one of your top priorities, you might want to rethink your strategy — you may be missing out on thousands of dollars in donations. Here’s why:
According to an in-depth study by Blackbaud, mobile donations are on the rise:
- Mobile donations increased 45 percent from the 2014 giving season to the 2015 season
- 14 percent of donors gave on mobile devices in 2015
- One in seven donations was made on a mobile device
Why the increase in mobile giving? Because smartphone use continues to grow:
- 64 percent of American adults now own a smartphone of some kind
- People increasingly rely on their mobile devices to do tasks beyond searching, social media and email
If the mobile donations and smartphone stats don’t convince you, then consider this: Google punishes you if your website is not mobile friendly. In spring 2015, Google Search changed its algorithm, expanding its use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. Now, when you Google something from a mobile device, search results will favor websites that are mobile-friendly. Sites that aren’t mobile-friendly will appear lower in search results.
Mobile website and mobile giving are here to stay, but they are also still evolving. In 2014, the iPad was the dominate mobile device at 61 percent but dropped to 43 percent in 2015. Meanwhile, iPhone mobile gifts climbed from 30 percent to 42 percent. This shows that users are staying on their handheld devices when they visit your website instead of switching to their tablet or laptop. In the not-so-distant future, mobile devices may be the most dominate device for giving. This means your website needs to have a responsive, smartphone friendly design. If you are not mobile friendly and responsive, you will fall behind.
Don’t miss out on all the opportunities mobile has to offer.
