Google Analytics Provides Insight on Importance of Mobile Browser Support

You cannot go five feet down the street anymore without seeing someone immersed in his or her mobile device. They are making calls, texting, and as of late, surfing the internet or transferring funds between bank accounts. Even with this level of mass mobile usage, it still amazes me how many major companies and organizations have yet to add true mobile support for their websites via mobile-friendly versions of their site or applications. There are several key insights that Google Analytics can provide that can convey the positive impact a mobile-friendly solution of your site could have:

1. First, you can drill down through the total visits of your website to see how many of those visitors were using mobile devices. These numbers can often be surprising, even for smaller, informational websites. This drilldown can provide crucial information right off the bat.


2. In addition to viewing the number of mobile visitors you had to your site, you can also determine the level of interaction they had. This can be determined by looking at the average number of pages per visit. If you have a website that employs many graphics or Flash objects, you may notice that the number of pages per visit will be lower than those of standard computer users. Mobile devices often do not have the same bandwidth or processing capabilities of a standard computer, and as such they have a more difficult time loading and displaying this type of content.


3. The average time on site metric also provides a great look at site interaction. Though a higher average time on site is often a good sign, it may also hint at a poorly optimized site for mobile users. This can be determined when you compare the average time on site with the amount of pages per visit for mobile visits. If the pages per visits are lower and the time on site is higher, it may mean that they are spending a great deal of time waiting for the page content to load. In contrast, a high level of pages per visit and high average time on site may indicate a site better suited to being displayed on a mobile device.

The key to the success of any website is knowing how the website is being used, and who is using it. Monitoring this usage via web analytics can provide invaluable information to assist in growing your web presence.