Responsive Website Design: You are losing business without it

The game has changed. Consumers now expect their online experience to be consistent no matter what device they are on.

Responsive website design refers to a website designed to adapt to any device a visitor is using. It is a single website that intelligently adapts to the screen the visitor is on without compromising functionality or aesthetics. With the increasing amount of Internet traffic coming from mobile devices, it has become clear that responsive design is no longer a trend, but a must for any website.

Need reasons why responsive design is a wise investment for your business and all businesses, of any size, and any industry? Look no further…

Mobile Web Growth

The world is going mobile and so are our websites. Imagine if movies were only available in the dimensions they played in the theatre.  How would this affect your experience watching a movie at home?  The same can be said for a user accessing your website on their mobile if it is not responsive.

Worldwide, mobile traffic has doubled between 2012 and 2013.  Hubspot reports that in 2014, mobile devices will account for 25% of global Internet traffic and by 2015 mobile Internet usage is predicted to overtake desktop Internet usage.  Not only are people using their mobile for social networking, checking and sending email, and surfing the website, they are also making purchases from their devices.  By 2016, revenue from mobile content is predicted to reach $65 billion.

Your website is likely receiving a high portion of mobile users and given it isn’t responsive, nor has a mobile version, that’s a lot of visitors who are receiving sub-optimal experiences.  According to Hubspot, if a user lands on your website on their mobile and is frustrated or doesn’t see what they are looking for, there is a 61% change they will leave immediately and go to another website (most likely a competitor).

Mobile is growing and isn’t going to slow down any time soon.  If you don’t have a responsive website design, you are losing business to someone that does.

Recommended by Google

Google is the main search engine for many users, and has 92% market share in mobile search engine. Pierre Far, Google Webmaster Trends Analyst, announced that Google recommends responsive web design as the primary mobile configuration. Having one single URL makes it easier for Google bot to index and organize one version of the site (Hubspot, 2014).

If Google is recommending something that is sure to help with your SEO, I’d say it’s probably a wise idea to listen.

Increase sales with a better & faster user experience

An effortless online experience is key to a visitor coming back.  Responsive design allows your visitor to browse your website with ease placing emphasis on designing for the user.

Responsive website design provides users with a better and faster user experience. When a user has to wait for a page to load, there’s a high change they will leave your site before it opens on their mobile phones. Responsive design eliminates the need for site redirects, improving the overall speed of the site, allowing users to get their information quickly.

Responsive design removes some of the barriers that having multiple sites can present such as performance and consistent look and feel. It allows your website to adapt to the visitors’ screen automatically, presents your content in a user-friendly format and does a better job of converting visitors into customers.

Ready for current and future devices

A responsive website will automatically adapt no matter what new technology is thrown our way, whether it be a new screen size or new tablet dimension.

Responsive design is one of the most effective ways to ensure every visitor has the best possible user experience.  It offers visitors an optimized experience regardless of their choice of device.  If you don’t have a responsive website, you are losing business to someone that does.

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It is still an emerging practice, so it’s natural that you may have some questions, and that’s what we are here for.  We are always happy to discuss, just drop us a line.

Has your website been converted to responsive design?  If you haven’t, what is holding you back?  If you have, have you seen benefits from the change?  We’d love to hear about your experience.