In the past, websites for businesses had two versions: a desktop version and a mobile version. Using both versions is costly and unsustainable in the contemporary business environment. A responsive website design, therefore, is one that uses a single URL to respond to both the desktop and the mobile devices.
Why does a website need to be responsive? Here are seven reasons…
1. Improved user experience
Ever tried to navigate a mobile unresponsive website? It is frustrating, to say the least, which is exactly how visitors to your website feel when your site is not mobile-friendly. Remember that your ROI is reliant on visitor satisfaction, so a negative first impression on mobile may well be their last impression of your business as a whole.
2. Increased leads from social media
In the UK, a person spends an average of 1 hour 50 minutes a day on various social media sites. Over 80% of this time is on the mobile. Thus, there is an increased chance of improved lead numbers from social media if the website is mobile responsive, as your click-through rate is likely to increase.
3. Better SEO ranking
Search engines like Google favour responsive websites thanks to an algorithm alteration in 2015. If you make your website responsive, you’ll help increase your SEO rankings thanks to faster loading times and an improved user experience.
4. Managerial ease
Forget about the separation of mobile and desktop sites – it’s much easier to manage one website than two, which is one of the biggest benefits of a responsive website. You can devote less time to focusing on updates, and when they do come around, it’ll be far simpler than the old way of handling your sites.
5. Flexibility
A responsive site ensures heightened flexibility for you and your team. You aren’t restricted to ensuring changes are consistent across two websites – you can simply go ahead and make them there and then. Simple!
6. Reducing managing costs
Having a separate website for different devices is costly. It requires managing each device’s website differently. This goes for Google ads too: imagine how much less rigmarole will be involved when you switch to a responsive website! It’ll quickly free up costs for use elsewhere.
7. Increase customer reach
There’s no doubt that smartphones are more and more prevalent throughout society – and with this, the increase in Google searches on a smartphone. You don’t want to exclude an entire demographic purely because they can’t access your website on a mobile browser. Ensure you reach as many consumers as possible by making your website responsive.
Ultimately, your brand needs to keep growing. For that to happen, you have to adopt emerging technologies and consumer expectations to keep them coming back (or attract first-time customers!). Your focus should consistently be on improving UX, so it’s a no-brainer: you need a responsive website. To find out how to create a responsive web design, Nettl of Glasgow is your best bet with a team of fantastic Glasgow-based web designers ready to help. Give us a call today!