It goeswithout saying that it is a mobile world, not a desktop oneanymore. Yet, many credit unions and community banks are makingdecisions about their online banking provider first, for home andInternet banking, and then settling for their new vendor's mediocremobile solution as an afterthought.

Are you sure that your mobile channel strategy should be tied tothe capabilities of your traditional desktop Internet bankingprovider? We believe that strategy is flawed.

Forward-thinking financial institutions start their search for anew provider with mobile requirements as a priority and let thatdrive their broader overall digital banking strategy.

Here are the Top 5 reasons mobile should be your priority:

1. Mobile has eclipsed desktop Internet access and thegap will continue to widen.

Mobile (smart phones and tablets) will be the dominant Internetaccess point for Millennial, Gen X and other demographics for theforeseeable future. Increasingly, some of the consumers that youwant to reach will, in fact, be mobile-only Internet access users.According to Pew Research, if market reach is important, ignoremobile-only users at your peril.

Consider these statistics:

• The personal computer, the darling of the 1990s and 2000s, islosing ground to the mobile phone. The average time spent using theInternet on a computer has dropped while Internet access viasmartphone grew 26% in 2013.²
• 31% of Internet users say mobile is the primary way that theyaccess the web.
• Mobile app use skyrocketed in 2013, up eight hours a month fromthe 2012 averages.¹

2. Mobile user sophistication is growing rapidly beyondtransactions.

You've heard the phrase, “there's an app for that”. It'stempting to think that members and customers will only want to dolight banking transactions on their mobile devices and return totheir laptop or desktop for more meaningful interactions such asloan applications. That is not necessarily the case. Members arelooking to engage with a single, unified, branded app from any oftheir mobile devices to tap into all of the things they can do onyour web site and more, including account opening, picture pay,loan applications, remote deposit, access knowledge bases and more.Developing a mobile presence based on a desktop transaction set maynegate self-service options that your institution offers.

3. Mobile form factors drive different user interfaceneeds and experiences than desktop.

Take heed that innovation, responsive design and app-orientedpresentation arethe ante to tap into the mobile channel forfinancial services. You'll need technology partnerswith deepexperience in mobile innovation and development to provide usersand memberswith a delightful mobile experience, not a headache.Trying to retrofit a desktop bankingsolution to the form factorsrequired for mobile banking can frustrate members and sendthemlooking elsewhere for a better mobile experience.

4. Innovative mobile banking features are exploding.Who's developing for the desktop anymore?

Making a decision about your technology infrastructure wouldwiselybe led by your mobile needs versus your desktop needs. As aneconomy, we'redeveloping for a mobile world, not for a desktop one.Your partner for all digital bankingneeds to be on the front end ofinnovation so that you can be first to market with importantnewfeatures and services on mobile devices and continue to offer thebest experience fromthe desktop or laptop as well.

5. A mobile-centric digital banking strategy will yielda greater return.

Align your financial institution with growth, not decline.Growth in every sense of the word right now is related to mobilecomputing, just think about Apple or Samsung growth and valueversusthat of traditional desktop manufacturers. Investment andalignment with the mobile channelwill translate to growth,engagement, reach and ROI for your institution.

1. Harvard Business Review, Rise of the Mobile-Only User, May 8,2013
2. The Callahan Report, Getting the Most from your DigitalChannels, June 30, 2014

Tim Kelly is EVP of Sales and Marketing for the Austin,Texas-based mobile banking firm Fi-Mobile. He can be reached at713-817-5858 or [email protected].