Why It's Time to Switch to Responsive Web Design

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It shouldn’t come as a surprise that much of the astonishing increase in web usage was fueled by a growing adoption of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. In 2012, the number of global smartphone users have gone beyond the one billion mark and is expected to shoot up further. This simply means that it’s critical for businesses to have their websites more mobile-friendly to seize this huge business opportunity.

Responsive web design is essentially constructing web pages that can automatically resize themselves according to the device used. When a traditional website is viewed from a desktop, it will look and perform differently than when it is viewed from a smartphone or tablet, due to the differences in screen sizes. With responsive web design, fluid grids and scalable images are used, so that the web site is resized according to the screen size of the device used. User experience is highly optimized because web content is fitted to the screen size, and users won’t have to scroll left or right to fit the information on the web page.

Today we’re going to show you why it’s essential to make the transition to a responsive design for your website.

Google loves responsive websites

Google remains the world’s most popular search engine. Optimizing your site for Google’s search users will clearly spell a huge advantage for your digital marketing strategies. So when Google recommends websites to adopt a responsive web design, it’s time to take note.

Unlike redirecting users to different versions of your website according to their device type, responsive design allows a website to use the same HTML and one URL, even across different devices. This means that it’s easier for Google bots to crawl and index responsive websites as compared to having separate sites for mobile and desktop.

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Mobile usage and adoption is on the rise

There’s no doubt that our digital future is moving towards a mobile-oriented one, as more of the consumers’ time is spent on their mobile devices. Stats revealed that 2014 marks the year when mobile internet usage outpaces its desktop counterpart. This is only natural as sales for mobile devices have rapidly overtaken desktop sales.

User experience is optimized

It’s interesting to know that 61 percent of users said that they are likely to leave to browse a competitor’s site if they don’t see what they’re searching for on your mobile website. In addition, 67% of these mobile users are more likely to buy products or services from mobile-friendly sites. This goes to show that a user is greatly influenced by their mobile experience. So if you want to increase your sales and strengthen your brand, make your websites more mobile-friendly and responsive.

It boosts conversion rates

If your website is not optimised for a mobile device, the chances of converting your mobile users are much slimmer. If a user has to put in extra effort to complete an order, then it is less likely that they will convert.

Managing SEO campaigns will be less of a headache

When you have a separate desktop and mobile website, it would mean that you will have to create different SEO campaigns for each. It is way more easy and cost-effective to manage just one website and one SEO campaign than multiple websites and SEO campaigns. Afterall, the same keywords would work just as well on a responsive site.

Responsive designs can accommodate future devices

With responsive designs, websites can be viewed properly even from different screen sizes. With new forms of devices, such as wearable devices such as smart watches and Google glasses, you should make sure that your website will still be displayed properly while maintaining its aesthetics and functionality.

Conclusion

If you want to get more traffic, less bounce rates, and increase your site’s conversion rates, then make sure that your website is optimized for mobile. Instead of wasting your resources in creating separate mobile and desktop sites, implementing a responsive web design will give you more bang for your buck when designing your website.