Connecting with customers on small screens way of the future: Sensis executive

As Australians increasingly access the internet through smartphones and tablet computers, it’s becoming important for small businesses to ensure their websites are compatible with the small screens of the popular devices.

A recent report by Sensis, the business directory arm of Telstra, found just 17% of small businesses had a website optimised to appear on mobile device screens.

The 2013 report on the online experience of small to medium businesses also found that in the past year 68% of Australians accessing the internet were doing so via smartphones and that half of the 41% of people who own tablets also used them to access the internet.

Kelly Brough, executive general manager of digital partnerships and innovation at Sensis, told StartupSmart the report showed it was important for small businesses that their customers were able to find them where customers were looking.

“Being found in those mobile search results is really important for small business to consider,” she says.

Brough says businesses need to embrace responsive design concepts that enable their websites to be flexible to fit various screen sizes.

She says websites optimised for mobile devices should also include features such as allowing people to call a business on their smartphone by tapping the phone number on the site and linking the address to the phone’s map application.

Small businesses should always think about their goals and objectives and who their customers are, Brough says.

“It forces you to consider how they’re (customers) going to be looking for you,” she says.