Increasingly impatient travel consumers in the middle of a 'micro-moment' expect mobile friendly websites;Â
If you don’t have one, you’ll lose business, says Bronwyn White (right), co-founder of MyTravelResearch.com, a market research and marketing firm specializing in the travel, tourism and aviation industries.
Google in April 2015 implemented an algorithm change that penalises sites that are not mobile friendly. It means that if your site is not mobile friendly, then it is less likely to be presented in top of page search results on a mobile phone. If your competitors are mobile friendly, they will be displayed above you.
This has implications for the travel industry, which has a high density of small businesses. In March 2015 research in the United States reported that 78% of US small businesses did not have a mobile solution or apps. However, 71% felt that having one would have a positive impact on business
Being slow to adopt mobile, isn’t just about resources. Those without a mobile-friendly website include large multinational hotel chains and cruise lines, all the way down to small operators and local government administrations responsible for tourism.
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