Brands, please stop ruining the consumer mobile journey with desktop experiences

People check their phones every 15 minutes on average, about 47 times a day, even if they have no alerts or notifications, according to a Deloitte study. And that number has remained steady for the past few years.

Mobile isn’t just the first screen or the only screen — it’s become part of everyday consumer behavior. It’s the device they reach for when they need to make decisions at any moment about what to buy, where to go or what to do.

In fact, in its latest research, Google found that 75 percent of people say their smartphones make them more productive.

Yet still today, many brands are stuck in a desktop-first, mobile-second world. When they fail to prioritize mobile investments and experiences, brands risk losing consumers who choose not to put down their mobile devices to complete transactions.

Maybe brands still see significant desktop activity and think, “Hey, desktop still plays a big role in consumer decision-making!” While it may appear so, Google recently found that over 40 percent of consumers say they prefer to complete their entire shopping journey — from research to purchase — on mobile. And that number is expected to grow.

It would be higher already if many consumers weren’t forced to migrate their journeys from smartphones to desktops because the mobile experience was either faulty, incomplete and/or unsatisfactory. Said another way, consumers sometimes must compromise their desired method of shopping and conform to the options provided by legacy systems because mobile is still playing second fiddle. How long do you think that will last before consumers find better, more intuitive mobile experiences?

Aside from what brands deliver, smartphones have become central to the on-demand assistance consumers expect. It’s simply how they get things done in all aspects of their life. For example, 54 percent of people say their phones reduce stress and/or anxiety in their lives, Google found. And 60 percent say they that mobile devices help them feel more confident and prepared.

Brands must aim to become the stewards of productive, assistive and positive mobile experiences without compromise. Mobile empowers consumers, delivers better results and in turn, builds stronger relationships. For instance, 79 percent of consumers say they’re more likely to revisit and/or share a mobile site if it is easy to use, according to Google’s research.

Here’s what brands must do to fulfill customer expectations:

• Apps and mobile sites must take into account consumer intent, context and desired outcomes.
• Click paths must lead to insights and results quickly and efficiently.
• Pages must load in five seconds or less.
• Content should deliver instant information and answers.
• Everything must connect intuitively and productively from beginning to end.

Brands that prioritize mobile experiences based on preferences and behaviors as they evolve will do more than convert. They’ll earn and re-earn the attention and loyalty of consumers who are increasingly in control of the experiences they want and value.