Put simply, responsive web design refers to websites that adapt to the size of the screen the visitor is using. If you’ve ever been onto a website that does not feature a responsive design, you’ll know the struggle of attempting to navigate through the site pages. A responsive design puts these pain points to bed and allows website users to navigate seamlessly through pages.
In the modern age, when competition online is high, ensuring you have a polished, responsive website is of great importance. We take a look at some of the many benefits of a responsive website below.
The Rise of Mobile Search
In the early 2000s, the number of searches conducted on a mobile device began to increase rapidly, and by 2016, mobile internet usage had surpassed desktop. In fact, research from Broadband Search stated that mobile traffic has increased by 222% in the past five years.
Fast forward to the current year and in July 2019, Google announced that mobile-first indexing was enabled by default for all new websites. This means that Google will predominantly use the mobile version of your content for indexing and ranking purposes.
With these statistics in mind, it’s clear to see why ensuring you have a responsive website that can adapt to a mobile screen is important.
Present Your Message Clearly
According to Netcraft’s January 2019 Web Server Survey, there are over 1 billion live websites worldwide, making competition to gain the attention of your target market tough. If your website is receiving a healthy amount of traffic, you’ll want to capitalise on it.
A responsive website will be able to display every heading, paragraph and image exactly where you want it. On the other hand, an unresponsive site may show a tiny version of your website and its content, requiring the user to manually zoom in just to find out if they’ve landed somewhere that meets their search requirements.
Additionally, unresponsive websites will often load images at a much slower rate and make call-to-action signs, links, and related content much more difficult to find – not something you can afford to happen in a world where users expect high-quality content at their fingertips, 24/7. Time is of the essence when it comes to web design; every element must assist the user through their buying or browsing journey or you risk losing their attention. Did you know, 47 percent of consumers expect a web page to load in two seconds or less? If your unresponsive website manages to load within this expected time frame, will it deliver when it comes to user experience? ‘I can’t move around the site with ease’ was listed as the second most popular reason for abandoning a webpage in research conducted by Monotype (formerly Brand Perfect). Can you really afford to be losing customers for such avoidable reasons?
Brand Building and Engagement
Your website is a platform that should wholly encompass what your brand is all about. It is often the first place people will visit for information about your business and a reference point for the quality of service a customer can expect to receive. It makes sense, then, to make sure that this reference point looks as good (and performs as well) as possible.
We already know from the above stats that users will quickly abandon a site due to a poor user experience, so it goes without saying that the opposite is true when a site caters to a user’s needs. Time spent on your site equates to engagement, and provides you with more chances to showcase your brand and ultimately sell a product or service.
Active Internet Marketing
We have a dedicated team of web designers and developers ready to build your new and responsive website. No matter what industry you work in, we’ll work with you to ensure your new website not only looks aesthetically pleasing but is functional and supportive of the goals you are looking to achieve.
For more information on how we can help you, please call 01604 765796 or send your enquiry through to our online contact form.
