A good digital strategy with more focus on mobile is becoming increasingly important

In future, companies will increasingly have to take the requirements of mobile users into account (Image: Pixabay).

For the study, the 100 most-visited websites in Switzerland from ten sectors were examined. The result: although more and more consumers are surfing and shopping with smartphones or tablets, many companies are still far from exploiting the potential of the mobile channel.

Only around 10 percent of all mobile websites in Switzerland open on a smartphone in less than three seconds. Mobile websites load too slowly, content is difficult to find, disgruntled customers drop out and switch to the competition.

"The mobile channel is the most important access channel for customers in many industries today, but many companies underestimate its importance," explains Sebastian Walter, Expert Vice President at Bain and co-author of the study. "This means they are losing out on business potential."

According to analyses by Bain and Google, more than half of mobile users leave a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load. In fact, around 50 percent of websites in Switzerland take five seconds or longer to display meaningful content on a mobile device.

Taking into account the requirements of mobile users

The use of mobile devices is increasing continuously. According to the study, more than five billion people around the world are already surfing the web on smartphones and tablets every day; by 2025, this figure will rise to six billion. In Switzerland alone, mobile devices account for up to 70% of online traffic in some sectors, with the average being around 60%. At the same time, around 40% of all online sales in Western Europe are generated via smartphone and tablet.

This makes it all the more important for companies to adapt to this. "The desktop and mobile versions of many companies' websites are still poorly integrated," says Gregor Doser, Industry Leader at Google Switzerland and co-author of the study. "Websites are often still far too slow on mobile devices. As a result, customer satisfaction suffers and sales figures and revenue can fall."

As part of the study, Bain and Google identified three key topics that significantly improve the customer experience on the mobile channel:

• Customer-oriented design. The customer journey must be geared towards actual user needs. A website should be designed to be as simple as it is effective, while still providing detailed information. Simplicity is all the more important for websites for access from mobile devices due to the smaller screen area. 
• Up-to-date technological design. Fast loading times and smooth transitions are also the result of good technology. Inappropriate image sizes should be avoided and unnecessary code shortened. Customer-oriented load optimizations accelerate the loading of relevant content. 
• Regular measurement of performance. One reason for the often inadequate performance of mobile websites is that key performance indicators are not measured. Basic elements such as customer satisfaction, the bounce rate or the proportion of sales should be determined for the mobile channel.

Comprehensive digital strategy of essential importance

Companies should therefore continuously work on their mobile websites. "Around 40 percent of websites are significantly slower again six months after they have been revised," says Bain expert Walter. "It is crucial to set up the organization in such a way that the individual channels are kept at a high performance level in the long term. To do this, the digital business units often have to be adapted."

Four fields of action should be considered for this transformation:

• Adapting to digital reality and the future. In the medium term, optimization should be aligned with the development of technology and competition, changing customer behaviour and the development of internal company competencies. Accordingly, improving the performance of (mobile) websites must be enshrined in the corporate strategy and objectives. 
• Business model. Digital initiatives follow the business objectives, not the other way around. They only make sense if they not only fulfill technical criteria, but also create value for customers - and therefore also for the company. All changes should therefore focus on the key customer segments and business areas.
• Organizational necessities. In addition to technical requirements, managers should also keep an eye on the company organization and culture. The biggest challenge is often hiring the right talent and developing long-serving employees. The IT infrastructure also needs to be adapted in many places. 
• Orchestrating the transformation. Only if top management actually sees the improvements as a priority and communicates this within the company will changes become noticeable. The necessary financial resources must also be available. 

Flexible and long-term thinking is necessary if companies want to keep pace with the rapid change towards "mobile first". "Because consumers are increasingly using mobile devices, companies should constantly review their online presence in terms of mobile user-friendliness and optimize it where necessary," emphasizes Gregor Doser from Google Switzerland. "Those who adapt to the needs of users, use the available tools in a targeted manner, measure success and always embed their digital roadmap in the corporate strategy will master the path to the digital future with confidence."