It's hard out there for brick-and-mortar retailers these days, thanks mostly to mobile retail. Just getting consumers in the door is a huge challenge because of trends such as showrooming and price-comparison apps, and there's no denying it: Today's consumer is — first and foremost — mobile.

Google's Mobile Focus Is Making Waves

According to a Google research study with Ipsos MediaCT and Sterling Brands, 87 percent of all consumers consult their smartphone screens before even setting foot in a retail outlet. Mobile shoppers can make smarter, faster and more efficient purchases. We're now seeing mobile-retail convergence between physical store locations, personalized apps and Internet marketing. And with Google's latest changes to its search algorithm, known in the industry as "Mobilegeddon," retailers who fail to make their sites more mobile-friendly are already seeing the negative impact in how their sites are ranked in smartphone search results. Forbes reported that 46 percent of Fortune 500 companies and 29 percent of the top 500 retail sites had not received Google's "mobile-friendly" designation. With top retail players struggling with Mobilegeddon, you might be wondering what chance you have.

U.S. consumers are spending more time than ever on mobile devices (last year showed an 81 percent increase in mobile data traffic, according to Re/code), but ConversionXL reports that mobile conversion rates remain low. This is a huge opportunity for marketers who can create mobile Web design that encourages user engagement — and that means more than a pretty typeface.

Try these six practices to turn browsers into shoppers:

1. Plan for Change

Users expect to access their data everywhere and on every device. It's not enough to plan just for smartphones and tablets — you want to use responsive design to adapt to the evolving mobile ecosystem. Create designs that suit these platforms rather than trying to replicate the desktop experience.

Few marketing landscapes have as much influence on website visitor behavior as mobile. Here, spontaneous and immediate demands for information are driving website design, marketing strategies, brand awareness and user engagement.

Nielsen reports that 71 percent of Americans own a smartphone; this increases to 85 percent for millennials. Thus, it's no surprise Search Engine Watch reported that Google's mobile visitors surpassed desktop visitors for the first time in late 2014. This means that if you want to extend your audience reach, understanding the differences between user engagement on websites accessed via mobile versus those accessed via desktop is key.

Engagement

Search Engine Watch reports that desktop visits last three times longer on average than mobile visits, with more pages viewed and half the bounce rate. This is website mobile visitors want a rapid and smooth experience. When mobile users land on a page, they don't want to pinch and resize so they can read the content and find what they're looking for. Instead, they leave the site and head somewhere else with a better mobile experience.

When executives and marketing heads are reluctant to talk about mobile optimization, they have good reason. Mobile improvements are an expensive undertaking and time consuming to boot. To fully accommodate mobile devices is no easy task — some websites require a complete overhaul, ripping out the guts and inserting a new foundation for a brand's digital presence. And when the numbers appear positive at first glance, leadership can be reluctant to rock the boat. Why fix something if it isn't broken? But that's the challenge of digital marketing: No campaign is ever truly fixed. Incremental strides and improvements can push marketing strategies toward unprecedented returns on investment and ultimately keep the brand moving forward. Given how mobile has deepened its roots in the daily lives of consumers, mobile optimization isn't merely a way to refine campaign results. In 2015, it's a critical step toward continued relevance with your audience. But that's not the only reason businesses should embrace mobile immediately.

*This article is a guest post written by our web services partner, Cardinal Web Solutions. 

A few weeks ago, a rock skipped up and hit my windshield as I was driving down I-85, creating a crack about 15 inches long. After asking neighbors and friends if they knew anyone in the area who could fix it in a timely manner without breaking the bank, I was referred to a company whose pricing looked great and could have it done the following day. 

I hopped on their website and proceeded to the contact page, hoping to secure my appointment, when I noticed the form was broken. There was no “Schedule Work” button or way to submit my information. I called the number listed on the site a few times trying to get in touch with someone, but was unsuccessful.

As consumers change their shopping habits, automotive advertising strategies are also transforming. EMarketer reported that automakers and dealers in the U.S. will have spent about $6.15 billion on digital advertising in 2014, an increase of 18.8 percent from 2013. But are they spending their budgets the right way? While marketers have made great advances, new trends suggest that automotive marketing techniques must reflect the way consumers leverage mobile, video advertising and other touchpoints to enhance their shopping experience and get the best deal.

Retargeting Cross-Shoppers

Think With Google reported that 72 percent of all auto purchase searches in 2013 involved some form of cross-shopping by the consumer. The good news for auto marketers is that you can leverage cross-shopping behaviors to ensure that your inventory is part of the consumer's evaluation process. Retargeting and remarketing are great ways to drive increased returns to your website by cross-shoppers. New research from the National Automobile Dealers Association shows that 83 percent of consumers say they're most influenced by dealer websites when they begin their auto search. This is a huge opportunity to use paid search to drive consumers to your website and leverage retargeting best practices to entice them to return once they've checked out other dealerships.