5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs A Responsive Website Now
How many times have you browsed a website on your smartphone or tablet and instantly left because it was virtually impossible to read or even navigate? Perhaps some of the functions like buttons or forms didn’t work at all.
In recent months it’s become crucial for businesses to have a responsive website, however many business owners may not understand why. In fact many won’t even understand what it means.
What’s a responsive website?
Responsive web design (RWD) means that a website is mobile-friendly. It can be viewed across a range of devices (including mobile phones and tablets) and the user doesn't have to scroll and move about on the display because the pages are automatically adjusted based on the type of device being used. Essentially it means that you don’t need to have one website formatted for desktops and laptops, and another one which is suitable for mobiles – you only need one site which displays well in every situation.
Here are 5 reasons why it‘s vital to have a website that works across all devices.
1. Your potential customers are addicted to their smartphones and tablets
According to a recent study 25% of all internet users only access the web via a smartphone or tablet, and over 20% of Google searches are made on a mobile device. This trend will no doubt grow in the next few years. If your site isn’t responsive, you’re missing out on a lot of potential business.
2. Google will love you
In April 2015 Google made some changes to their search results algorithms and they now include RWD as a ranking signal. This means that if your site isn’t mobile-friendly you might still rank highly in search results from laptops and desktops, but your position will decrease significantly in searches from mobile devices. If you care about your business and turnover, RWD is essential. Why not try out Google's Mobile-Friendly Test now?
3. Your business bank account will flourish
If potential customers are accessing your site from a smartphone or tablet they’ll expect it to be quick to load and easy to read and navigate. If it isn’t they may become frustrated and go to one of your competitors instead. With RWD your customers won’t need to zoom in on the text or images as the content automatically adjusts to the screen of the device they are using. Ultimately this offers a better user experience, a great impression of your business, and increased conversion rates.
4. You’ll show you mean business
It’s important to stay ahead of the game and one way you can do this is by having a website which really stands out. Perhaps your competitors haven’t yet thought about responsive web design, so this is a great opportunity for you to be a step ahead of them. One idea is to look at similar websites for your industry on various devices to see what they look like and how they work.
5. Converting to RWD now will be easier on your pocket
Depending on how often you update your website you may find that by booking someone now to rebuild it will save you a lot of money. Bear in mind that the more content there is to transfer across to your new design, the higher the costs will be from your web design agency. Time is money for any business so our advice is don’t delay or procrastinate.
Our preferred platform for building business or portfolio websites is Squarespace, as all the themes have a responsive web design. Squarespace also has a Device View feature which we love (you can use this when you’re logged in and are managing your site) as this gives you a general idea of how your site appears on a typical mobile browser. It ‘s also easy to check your visitor stats regardless of whether someone has accessed your site from a desktop or a handheld device.
If you would like a chat about creating a mobile-responsive website or rebuilding your existing one, we would be very happy to hear from you. Please contact us and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible.