Do agents need a mobile website
Mobile websites are clearly the latest business must have', but will it add value to your business
If it doesn't add value or if your customers don't want it, then it's probably not worth doing. So, how do you decide
Websites for estate agents don't generally generate business directly by the customer entering into a sale or let in the way that they would buy a book from Amazon. However, they are a critical link for potential buyers in helping them select properties of interest, view location maps, street views, locating amenities close to the property and electronically sign leases etc.
Websites also help to build the agent's brand, which is important for generating new business. To assess whether mobile sites can actually help in that process is slightly more difficult - although websites can capture the type of viewing device (PC or mobile) that a user is viewing from, most don't by default.
It is worth looking at figures from the Office of National Statistics to get a better understanding of what is happening and likely to happen regarding the use of the internet and in particular, mobile devices. From the Office of National Statistics report on internet access published on 8 August 2013, we can see several very clear trends;
1. In 2013, 36 million adults (73%) in Great Britain accessed the Internet every day, 20 million more than in 2006, when directly comparable records began.
2. Access to the Internet using a mobile phone more than doubled between 2010 and 2013, from 24% to 53%.
3. In 2013, 72% of all adults bought goods or services online, up from 53% in 2008.
4. Almost three quarters of adults in Great Britain used the Internet everyday (73%) in 2013, with 6 out of every 10 adults (61%) using a mobile phone or portable computer to access the Internet 'on the go'.
5. Adults aged 25 to 34 used the internet more than any other age group to carry out a wide range of every day' activities, such as purchasing goods or services (92%), internet banking (76%) and selling goods (45%).
There has clearly been a phenomenal growth in both the use of the internet and particularly in the use of mobile devices to access the internet - but what should we expect going forward
Daily computer use by age group, 2006 and 2013 %
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ All
2006 63 61 63 56 36 9 45
2013 88 84 80 76 67 37 70
Base: Adults (aged 16+) in Great Britain Source: Office for National Statistics
From the table we can see that every age group has increased its daily computer use over the seven year period.
The big increase in computer usage by the 16-44 age groups and the rise in mobile phones to access the internet (now 53% of adults daily), explains why 36 million people access the net on a daily basis.
It is therefore a very reasonable prediction that as each year passes, the wave' of computer and mobile usage is moving inexorably through the age profile. So, does your website need to be mobile compatible You bet it does! Your future customers will absolutely expect it and people who do not access the internet using a mobile will, simply through aging alone, continue to rapidly decline. So, as you don't know how your age profile of customers will access your website, make the website present itself in the best way possible to mobiles, tablets, netbooks, PCs or the next new device!
*Derek Lum is Managing Director of Cleartarn Limited, website and content management specialists
Comments
Great post! I personally think they do as the internet is the way forward but great points for for and against. I will defiantly share this post on, thanks.
As an estate agent myself I find that my mobile is my best tool. I never leave the office with out it. I think for potential customers too it is good that they can look at my site on a mobile on the go.