Don’t Sleep on Mobile View and Responsive Design
Responsive website design is more than just an online buzzword that seems to be found on every corner of the internet these days; it’s an important business strategy—and one that shouldn’t be ignored.
TechJury’s web traffic statistics show that as of 2022, 70 percent of online traffic comes from mobile devices.
We use our phones for everything these days. Ordering delivery from our favorite takeout places. Scanning QR codes. Identifying plants based on a picture. You can even use your phone’s flashlight to check your pulse.
With so much happening in the palm of our hands, your website absolutely must be optimized for mobile devices and responsive design. Take a look at why you shouldn’t overlook mobile and responsive design.
What Is Responsive Design? What About Mobile Design?
What exactly is the difference between responsive and mobile design? And why does it matter? Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there are some subtle differences.
Mobile-friendly design can be explained this way:
“A mobile-friendly site functions the exact same way regardless of the device. In other words, mobile-friendly designs do not change based on the device being used.”
These sites are user-friendly for mobile devices and those who access web pages based on that. In some cases, many features like navigation drop-downs, are limited to make sites accessible on mobile devices. However, they are still a very popular, widely-used option.
So how does this differ from responsive design? HubSpot defines responsive design as:
“A website designed with mobile-friendly features, content, and media. Responsive websites change and adapt to whatever devices a visitor may be using, including smartphones, tablets, and desktops.”
Both mobile and responsive design options are essential to keeping current with search engine optimization (SEO) and algorithms, and also to make today’s savvy web users feel welcomed. Mobile and responsive design is a smart way to show that you are forward-thinking and embrace technology.
Why Does It Matter?
Besides the fact that so many consumers access the web via mobile devices, there are a myriad of reasons that your website should be built with a mobile-first or responsive design.
Improve Your SEO Ranking
It should come as no surprise that major search engines like Google favor websites with a mobile-first or responsive design; they want to be sure that they are offering valuable content to their users.
Like you, these search engine giants know that an increasing number of users search from their mobile devices. It’s more important than ever to ensure that your site can be easily rendered and accessed from any device.
This is why search engines like Google favor websites that are optimized for use on mobile devices or those that have implemented a mobile-responsive web design. You’ll get better rankings on search engine results pages, and therefore, hopefully, higher traffic coming from organic search results. After all, the average Google click-through rate for the first search result on Google is 26.9 percent on mobile devices.
Improved User Experiences
All search engines like Google want to do is create the best possible experiences for their users—which is why they offer them search results that are most likely to help. That’s what keeps us all going back to Google again and again!
Responsive web design adjusts to screen size and usability on any device, which means that no matter how site visitors access your page, they will get the best possible user experience—and this will also earn you a better spot on a search results page.
Faster Load Times and Lower Bounce Rates
Another bonus? Search Engine Journal offers that responsive design usually means a lower bounce rate. This is because responsive websites typically load much faster than their static counterparts.
Page load times matter a great deal to consumers. In fact, it should be noted that the eCommerce sites with the highest conversion rates happen on pages with load times between 0 and 2 seconds. What’s more, website conversion rates drop over 2 percent for every additional second of load time.
The content on your site might be incredible. But if your site is not geared towards fast load times (like with a responsive site), you might end up scaring away your target audience.
Choose Responsive, Mobile Designs Every Time
A mobile-friendly, responsive design should be the basis for your entire website; that’s the secret to success. It puts the needs of your users first and makes it a breeze for them to engage with your brand online. Plus, it encourages search engines to give you a better results page ranking, since you’re accessible on any device.
Ensuring your website not only looks good on mobile devices but also takes into account all the ways that touch screens can interact with your site, really sets you apart from competitors who make the customer take multiple steps just to reach a real person.
By making sure your website is fully optimized for mobile visitors, you stand out from the competition and make it as easy as possible for your new customers to do business with you.
At JAW Dropping Designs, our goal is to help you better interact with your target audience online. One way we make that happen is to help you make a responsive site that’s welcoming and accessible for every person and every device.
To learn more about how we can help you transform your website and connect with users on the go, on desktops, and on mobile devices, schedule a FREE website consultation with our team of experts today!
