The Growing Importance of Responsive Website Design

In light of the current topic, Responsive Website Design, we wonder what device you are reading this blog post on? A laptop? Maybe you’re at your desk reading from a cinema-sized computer screen? Or, perhaps, you’re scrolling your way through a smart device such a tablet or smart phone?

Whatever device you are currently using, it is clear to see that the plethora of varying mobile and smart device on the market today. It is no surprise that mobile Internet usage is soaring within the 21^st Century, technology-driven world, which provides a great opportunity for businesses to communicate with their customers.

What is a Responsive Website?

A Responsive Website is simply a site that will automatically re-format itself for the best viewing capability, depending on the device being used. These devices include mobile phones, tablets, games consoles, TV’s and desktop computers.

With a Responsive Website Design, all content and layout styles aim to make the whole web browsing experience much more user-friendly. Visitors no longer need to pinch and pull the screen, to zoom in and out of the text on a mobile device. This is managed by creating one website, that is coded in such a way that it can adapt to the specific device it is being viewed.

What are the Benefits of Responsive Website Design?

Whatever the nature of your business, a Responsive website design is now not only more favourable for users, but it is also critical platform preferred by by Google.

So, why should businesses plan on ensuring their website is responsive?

Mobile Internet Usage is Quickly Increasing…

This may seem like a simple point to make, however, it is important to recognise the boom of the mobile device usage. With a plethora of mobile devices widely available and utilised, the majority of online searches now take place on such devices – a continual rise during the past few years.

Responsive is Preferred for SEO…

Google now gives preference to responsive website designs, for huge variety of reasons, and will boost your site within search results if it complies with the responsive requirement. Having only one URL makes it much easier for Google to crawl your site, in addition, this will reduce the chance of on-page SEO errors. 

Improved User Experience…

Websites these days need to cater to a tech-savvy generation. With the number of mobile device users continuing to grow, websites must create a platform that provides exactly what they are looking for and is easy to navigate through. If a visitor lands on your site and becomes frustrated by having to adjust their screen or is simply unable to find what they are looking for – there is a good chance they will leave immediately. A positive online experience is a must and is much more likely to end in a purchase or enquiry.

Easier to Manage…

Prior to Responsive, if you wished to cater for mobile and tablet device users, you would have needed at least two websites – individuals created to suit the device being used. This, in turn would mean that you would need to update, manage and run campaigns on both sites. With a Responsive platform, there is only one website to take care of – a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

This means that any changes made to the site, SEO campaigns being carried out or content shared will be carried out across the multiple device platforms. Having one Responsive Website also means that reporting is much easier, with only one single set of statistics and analytics to investigate.

It’s Future-proof…

Not only will your site be perfectly displayed on a wide range of currently used mobile devices, but a responsive design will ensure that, as new devices are continually used for web browsing, your site will still look great.

Moving forward, it will be more and more important that your website provides visitors with an easy-to-use, enjoyable experience. With the majority of the population now using a smart device of some sort on a constant, daily basis, businesses should ensure they are not neglecting the whole world of online searchers.  

Areca Design can now create Responsive Website Designs that are loved by Google. For further information on our bespoke websites, how we can help to support you and for a full quotation, please contact us today on: 01386 570360, or email us here.