Why Your Site Needs Responsive Web Design ASAP

With mobile becoming the new norm, it is essential for businesses to use responsive web design or risk losing out on opportunities. 

The COVID-19 outbreak has caused a huge shift in digital behaviour. Globally, people are spending more time than ever on their mobiles than any other device - playing games, watching content online, and surfing social media. Even e-commerce has seen a surge in activity, with revenues growing by 20% in just the first quarter of the year (Salesforce Shopping Index).‍

What is Responsive Web Design?‍

Responsive web design is a web development approach that enables your website to dynamically change and optimize its layout for the best viewing experience, based on the user device - be it desktop, tablet or mobile.

It consists of three components:

• Fluid grids: A web layout design that allows page elements to be flexible and scalable to adjust to different screen sizes
• Flexible text & images: Text and images can adjust in scale, size and crop to fit screen proportions 
• Media queries: A code that enables responsive web layouts to be flexible by specifying what CSS should be applied, based on the screen device and orientation 

With more customers going online to spend, businesses are making the move to digital. And if your company website is not up to standard, you might find yourself getting left behind. Here are some reasons why responsive web design is essential for your site, and why you should get it done ASAP.‍

1. Faster web development‍

Before responsive web design came out, adaptive mobile templates were the norm. They required you to build a separate mobile version of your site, which took more time and effort. This ‘cut-down’ mobile version of the main website also limited the content, and hampered the user experience. The amount of extra time and resources it took to maintain two different versions of a site also took their toll – change an image on the main site, and you’ll have to duplicate those efforts on your mobile site. Responsive web design removes these problems as you only need one URL for your website.

2. Positively impacts your SEO‍

Your site usability directly impacts your SEO. In fact, it is one of the key factors in how Google ranks your site in its search engine results or SERP. Responsive web design optimizes user experience, making it easier for users to navigate through your site. A good responsive mobile experience leads to longer time spent on your site, signaling to Google that you run a high-quality site with highly-relevant content for its users.

3. Increases reach ‍

4 out of 5 users now use their mobile phones to search online. Without a responsive mobile web design, imagine how much reach you are losing out on - and that’s a lot of people! As responsive web design adapts to create a tailored experience on mobile without you having to create a separate app, you’ll be offering a seamless experience across devices, encouraging users to stay on your site for longer (read: lower bounce rates!)‍

4. Avoid losing customers‍

Did you know that 40% of users move on to a competitor’s website after a poor mobile experience? This means you need to adapt your web design to be optimized for mobile or risk losing out on potential customers. Once you have implemented responsive web design to your site, you should notice an increase in mobile visits.‍

5. Improved conversion rates‍

A consistent website experience across all devices impacts the way users think about your business and can also guide them to make (or break) purchase decisions. In fact, an estimated 45% of all commerce decisions are made on mobile so prioritizing mobile-friendly content is vital, especially for e-commerce sites. Using responsive web design can help to ensure that a user’s experience is optimized on every device, even mobile.‍

6. Seamless brand experience‍

A seamless website experience is important for your brand. 57% of people say that they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile website. Having a responsive website allows you to keep the brand experience consistent, no matter where your users are coming from. It builds brand credibility; users with a positive experience are more likely to trust your brand and recommend it to others.

In conclusion, responsive web design adapts with the evolving online behaviour of customers and the rise of mobile. With the number of mobile internet users increasing globally every year, it is even more vital that you utilize a responsive design that is adaptable and flexible enough to provide the most optimal experience for your users, no matter which device they are using.