Why You Need a Responsive Website Now

Have no idea what responsive design is? Don’t worry, you are still in the majority of today’s small businesses. Even though responsive website design was created around 2010, according to Forbes Magazine, only about 15% of websites on the internet are responsive.

Simply put, a responsive website is a website that adjusts to fit any screen size or resolution, no matter what device is used to display the website. Without a responsive design, websites fit poorly onto mobile devices, causing the user to have to constantly zoom in and out to be able to click on buttons and read content. Even websites with a separate “mobile design” can be really annoying because the website is usually set up very differently from the desktop version and finding the right content can be difficult and frustrating. Responsive design fixes both of these problems by adjusting the website to fit any screen size with a great looking similar design that functions across all screens and platforms.

Here’s Why Responsive Design is So Important:

1. Mobile Internet Usage has Exploded:

So far in 2014, Forbes Magazine says that 79.1% of internet users have accessed the web from a mobile device.
According to Google, more than 20% of Google searches are conducted from a mobile device
Google claims over half of local searches are conducted on a mobile phone

Mobile marketing is the true future of digital marketing. A consumer that has to constantly zoom in and out of a website they visit on their mobile device is going to get annoyed quickly and most likely leave. Separate mobile adaptive websites also have the tendency to frustrate mobile users as well when navigation differs from the desktop version of the website. All online users want to be able to find the content they are looking for as soon as possible. Any delay from a mobile device could turn away a potential long term customer. Responsive design solves this problem by allowing the website to freely adjust, look great, and function just as well as it would on a desktop.

2. Google Prefers Responsive design:

Providing the best user experience ultimately affects how well a website ranks on Google’s search engine. Without responsive design, not only could you be frustrating mobile visitors on your website, you are also risking a significant drop in Search Engine Results (perhaps below your competitors).

3. One Website for All Devices:

Having a separate website for each possible device used is not only frustrating for site visitors, but also for the business trying to use the sites. On the consumer side, going to a website expecting certain navigation and ending up being re-directed to a mobile site or worse, having to zoom in and out to see the site on mobile is very frustrating. On the business side, separate websites for desktops, tablets, and mobile devices means separate SEO campaigns, more domain names, and a division in branding. Responsive design allows one website to work beautifully and functionally across all devices. It’s easier to manage for businesses and will keep visitors on your site.