In a world where data lies at the heart of every intelligent business decision, statistics provide the insight to ensure you’re moving in the right direction. And if there’s one statistic that points to the direction your marketing needs to go today, it is this:
More Google searches are now conducted on mobile devices than on desktop computers – not just in select countries as previously reported but across the globe. It’s a statistic that speaks to a fundamental shift in how people engage with the world and, as a result, it both builds on and supports a multitude of other stats, which only further underscore the importance of making mobile an integral part of marketing your practice:
80% of all online adults own a smartphone and 47% own a tablet
What it means for doctors: The widespread embrace of mobile technology is driving everything from technology trends – think tapping, swiping and voice search – to consumer expectations for all their online interactions. Failure to keep up is a formula for falling behind.
83% of smartphone users don’t leave home without their devices
What it means for doctors: Most of them, especially younger ones, aren’t using them to make phone calls; they’re using them to watch videos, scroll through their social feeds and seek out information that’s easily consumed via a small screen. Sharing content that’s concise, visual and on the platforms they’re using is crucial.
90% of people move between devices to accomplish a goal
What it means for doctors: Marketers call it “omnichannel” and it refers to the idea that consumers use multiple tools (websites, email, phone calls) when researching products and services. Online consumers, for example, visit an average of 6.2 websites, 2.6 of them on mobile devices, before making a purchase, underscoring the need to provide a seamless experience across them all.
38% of mobile users search for a local business at least once a month
What it means for doctors: Mobile searchers tend to be more task-based than desktop searchers, with more than one in three looking for a local business that can provide a product or service they need. Claiming your Google My Business profile and all social profiles increases the odds that they’ll find yours.
27% of mobile users have used their devices to search for a doctor or dentist
What it means for doctors: Looking at 19 categories of businesses, the folks at BrightLocal note that doctors and dentists are the second-most popular category for mobile searchers. (Only restaurants/cafes scored higher.) Time-pressed and highly motivated, such searchers are more likely to consider just a few results. Practices, therefore, need to incorporate mobile-friendly factors into their web design because…
61% of mobile users are more likely to contact a local business if it has a mobile-optimized website
What it means for doctors: These days, the design of your mobile website is a make-or-break proposition. On the back end, fast load times and responsive design help keep users from immediately clicking away; on the user side, clean design, easy navigation and prominent contact information help keep them around (while also sending signals to Google that your site is, indeed, mobile-friendly).
70% of mobile searches result in an online action within an hour
What it means for doctors: As noted above, mobile searchers are task-based, which is why they’re likely to take action soon after searching. Make it easy for them by keeping online-inquiry forms simple, incorporating click-to-call buttons to facilitate contact and implementing systems to respond quickly via all contact channels.
75% of mobile shoppers have used a mobile coupon
What it means for doctors: If you offer discounts on your website for, say, Botox or fillers, consider offering them on your mobile site as well. Creating mobile-specific discounts demonstrates that you recognize users’ unique needs and concerns and are interested in providing the kind of convenience they’ve come to expect from their online interactions.
11% of Internet users consider themselves “mobile-only”
What it means for doctors: Not mobile-first. Mobile-only, which means they don’t use a desktop computer to access the Internet at all. Sure, as noted above, most people still utilize both platforms but the trend is inescapable. Last March, for example, more users said they were mobile-only than desktop-only (11.3% vs. 10.6%) for the first time ever and it’s safe to say the gap has only widened since.
Put it altogether and what it really means for doctors is this: When marketing your practice, incorporating mobile is increasingly the best way to reach today’s aesthetic consumers. And for some of those consumers, it may be the only way.