Is it Time for Wineries to Go Mobile?
June 1, 2012
An interesting thing happened this year. Marketing and advertising research company Nielsen, reported that smartphone usage surpassed conventional cell phone use.
However, based on a recent article in the Washington Wine Report, wineries aren’t yet ready to go mobile, stating:
”A recent wine marketing conference in Woodinville served as a case in point. Winery owners were asked how many of them had a website for their businesses. Everyone’s hand went up. Next, when asked how many of their websites were set up for mobile users, only one person raised their hand.”
So the question is, what’s the difference between a mobile website and a regular website?
In a nutshell, mobile apps are setup so when you go to the website, you’re redirected to a “mobile friendly version” instead. This version usually bears a simpler design and an easy to navigate menu, that provides quick access to key info such as directions and winery hours etc. Speedier load times are also a nice-little perk.
In the coming months and years the amount of mobile usage is sure to change. Smartphones are going nowhere but up. Time for wineries to get ready!
Click here for the full article from the Washington Wine Report.
My Thoughts…
Ok, so I think we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves here….
I spend a fair amount of time on winery websites (seeing usually 25-50 each week), so I know a little thing-or-three about the overall current shape they’re in.
Of course I’m going to be speaking in generalities here; but if I was going to assign a grade for the overall quality of winery websites, I would go with a solid D. The smaller guys are obviously the worst offenders – most of the time looking like an early 90’s lovechild of MySpace and Geocities. Click here for a Geocitiesized example of what I’m talking about.
Everyone seems to be pushing mobile so hard and to be honest it’s getting a little old.
I know as well as anyone in the wine and tech industry, that the future is going to be mobile, but most proponents seem to be forgetting about the current state of wine websites. It would be like recommending to a bakery that they should buy a Mercedes delivery van, even though their business has holes in the roof and rats running around.
A great looking website doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Hell, I’ve put together a few fully functioning, clean, simple, user-friendly and social media integrated websites within a week! Functionality, simplicity, a modern-theme and up-to date content should be the founding principles of any website. Businesses need to get that right before they start to go mobile!
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