As consumers have embraced smartphones and the mobile internet, SMBs and even enterprises have lagged behind. According to BuzzBoard data, 47.3% of all SMB websites across the US are not mobile ready. Other data sources show even larger numbers are unprepared.

Not waiting for businesses to catch up, consumers have embraced mobile search and apps as primary tools to find local business information. According to Google there are now more search queries coming from smartphones than desktop computers. This is particularly true when it comes to local business lookups, which holds significant implications for SMBs and their communities.

Having an effective mobile presence is now critical for all merchants, but especially for SMBs that sell offline, which describes most local businesses. That’s because, as indicated, mobile has become the primary platform for consumer local search behavior.