The first glimpse new patients get of your pharmacy is likely through their smartphones. Many patients seek out your website before ever deciding to business with you—and they find it on their phones.
You probably know that your pharmacy needs a website. That’s the first step. But does your website work on a mobile device? That’s the next step to consider.
Having a mobile-responsive website ensures that those accessing your website through a smartphone or tablet have a user-friendly experience. When your website design is mobile-responsive, it seamlessly resizes to fit any screen, and it’s easy to read and navigate.
A few years ago, making your website mobile-responsive might have been too expensive and unnecessary but today, it’s expected.
Here are three reasons for you to invest in a mobile-responsive website.
1. Stay competitive and relevant
More patients rely on their phones than ever before. The 2014 Mobile Behavior Report from Salesforce Marketing Cloud, a digital marketing company, found that 85 percent of consumers say their mobile devices are a central part of their everyday lives.
And, patients expect the convenience of mobile-friendly websites. Nine out of 10 survey respondents say that it’s important to have access to content however they want it, and 83 percent say that a seamless web experience across all devices is important. If you aren’t giving patients that experience, they know they can find it somewhere else.
2. Appeal to younger generations
Mobile website design becomes even more important when you consider your younger patients. According to a 2014 study by Mitek, a mobile document capture software firm, and Zogby Analytics, a research firm, 90 percent of millennials have their phones with them at all times, and 68 percent prefer to use their mobile device over their desktop computer or laptop. Research also found that 64 percent used their smartphones as their primary device for getting on the Internet.
The likelihood that these consumers will access your website on their smartphone is significant, as about 50 percent of millennials reported that they attempt to access a mobile site of a business at least once a day. However, 86 percent of millennials reported that many websites they visit don’t offer good mobile functionality. If your website isn’t easy-to-navigate on their mobile devices, then millennials won’t be impressed with your business. Upgrading to a mobile-responsive website will help you appeal to the 99.7 percent of millennials who will own smartphones by 2018.
3. Google searches favor mobile-friendly websites
On April 21, 2015, Google changed its search rankings to more heavily favor mobile-friendly websites in its results. This change comes as a response to the increasing use of mobile devices to access the Internet, and is expected to significantly alter search results across the world.
This means that if your website isn’t mobile-responsive, it might not appear at the top of potential patients’ search results—or in them at all. If patients can’t find your pharmacy online, then they could miss out on the chance to find it in-person.
Because this is such a huge change, Google is also offering resources for making websites mobile-friendly to help you get started.
Make it easy for patients to find you by updating your website today. By making your website mobile-responsive, you’re ensuring your pharmacy stays visible online and off.
