In case you're looking for proof that you need a strong mobile strategy, look no further than high-end car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz, which has found that by paying attention to analytics they were able to see a huge increase in mobile traffic, and based on that, introduce a new enhanced mobile web browsing experience.

Not enough businesses pay attention to analytics and if you see a burst in traffic, you have to tailor your products to meet that. In fact, ideally you probably want to have an optimal mobile experience in place because chances are that mobile traffic is coming, even for high-end car shopping.

Mercedes found that by monitoring their user's traffic patterns, that mobile traffic increased over 170 percent. That's not something you can ignore and wisely, the car maker took steps by building a new mobile browser-based experience. Recognizing that this might be out of their area of expertise, Mercedes turned to Usablenet to help them build the mobile website.

I took a look at the mobile version of mbusa.com and it has been designed for small-screen viewing and navigation and takes advantage of touch screen capability. It can use location information from the phone's GPS to help you find the nearest dealer. It has a simple, clean interface that's easy to navigate. The pictures in the galleries have been optimized for a small screen and let you see the beauty of the cars and what comes in them in a few taps.

Usablenet Chief Marketing Officer Carin Van Vuuren says companies like Mercedes have to be engaged with customers in multiple channels. "The modern car buyer does not wish to be tethered to their computer to research vehicles," she said.

It seems to be working. Mercedes reported that 50 percent of visitors are looking at product pages and a similar, if slightly lower number, are exploring more deeply, which proves a mobile strategy even for something like a luxury automobile maker is essential.

For more information:
- see the Mercedes-Benz press release