For years now marketing experts have been telling business owners that their business website had to be a mobile friendly website. Well, it’s time for the next evolution because being mobile friendly isn’t good enough anymore- you must have a mobile first website, especially in the outdoor hospitality industry.

CEO and Founder of Big Rig Xpress, Jeff Beyer, recently commented on the subject saying, “Probably not much of a News Flash: we live on our mobile phones. They’re minicomputers that are always with us. Unsurprisingly, the majority of all internet activity and new product & service searches are done on a mobile device, over 60%. In many sectors, such as outdoor hospitality and RV resorts, it’s over 75% (mobile & tablet combined).”

Take one of our clients, a new, hip, luxe RV resort in Texas as an example: mobile phone users accounted for 81% of traffic, while 8% used tablets, bringing the total mobile user count to 89% of business website traffic. That left only 11% of users accessing the desktop version. Data from the outdoor hospitality industry currently suggests that the average business website use is at 70% mobile phone, 10% tablet, 20% desktop…and the numbers are pushing more toward mobile every day.

Mr. Beyer added, “Many websites are built for desktop first and then are “responsive” to adjust to mobile and tablet screens. This is of course a non-starter in the modern era. We believe it’s important to turn the page on this and flip it around: the modern website should be built mobile first and then adapted to fit desktop environments.”

So, what does it mean to build a mobile first website?

As the term suggests, the design of your business website begins with mobile in mind, instead of desktop. This means the layout and organization of your site need to focus on things like vertical view (instead of horizonal) lower volumes of text, and more intuitive navigation. Beyer provided this simple illustration, “A solid paragraph of text on a 27-inch monitor doesn’t look out of place, but on a 4.5 – 6 inch screen, it feels like a Tolstoy novel.”

At the end of the day, prospective clients are looking for just enough information on your business website to initiate contact: who are you, what do you do, can I trust you to do what I need, a.k.a. should I initiate contact? In outdoor hospitality and RV resorts specifically, it’s just as straightforward. The most trafficked website pages are rates, amenities, and gallery- which translates to: how much is it, what do you offer on site, what does the property look like?

From there, the prospective customer either initiates contact or makes a reservation.

A Mobile First Website > A Mobile Friendly Website

When it comes to your next business website, make sure it’s built mobile first, and follow the adage of Jeff Beyer, “Less is more.” Big Rig Xpress is here to help you with all your website and marketing needs. Contact us today to learn more about how we build high-impact websites for RV parks, resorts, and more.

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