“The smartphone revolution is under-hyped; more people have access to phones than access to running water. We 've never had anything like this before since the beginning of the planet.” (Marc Andreessen) The future for small businesses and the web is user friendly mobile websites. Today our world is built around accessibility with most of the population are carrying iPhones, iPads, or Smartphones for quick and easy navigation. Small businesses need to utilize the most current web-based marketing tools to drive new and returning customers online or to the mobile website, and if your business is not it may be detrimental to future of the business. Small businesses need to embrace and stay ahead of the technology trends to ensure every person with a mobile device can easily find and navigate through their online business.
Bellevue Beauty Walk, www.bellevuebeautywalk.com, is a small business is Newport, Rhode Island that sells gift items, jewelry, accessories, and beauty products. The owner started her business in 2004 and has been slowly growing ever since. She launched the business’s website in 2006, the year after the first Cyber Monday, around the beginning of the online shopping craze. Her website started just as an informational site with directions and how to contact the store. Today the site tells visitors about her store, new arrivals, events, and a small selection of popular items for online purchase. The owner has a web designer to help her keep the website fresh and updated, but the rapid growth of technology constantly challenges her to stay ahead or fall by the way side of the overabundance of evolving online businesses.
Strength of Mobile Internet
People all over the world now have smartphones as a necessity. According to Birkner (2012) “By the end of 2012, there will be 137 million smartphone users and 132 million users accessing the mobile Web, according to Cambridge, MA based Forrester Research Inc.”
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