Why Responsive Web Design Matters

The way your website appears on a mobile device is much more important than you might think. If you’re working with a web designer who has promised an excellent mobile design, be sure to ask if he or she really means responsive design. Believe it or not, there is a difference between responsive design and mobile design. You definitely want the responsive design.

Responsive design requires only one website with coding to adapt to any screen size, no matter the device. If you only have a mobile template, your website will either be mobile-only or will require a sub-domain to display on mobile devices. Also, mobile templates are often built for only one type of mobile device. Now you understand why responsive design is definitely the way to go.

But maybe we should go back to the beginning and let you know why responsive design for mobile devices is so very important.

Increased Mobile Usage

Prepare for a deluge of percentages! A good mobile experience is extremely important, say 61% of people. Impressions of brands and companies are much better when the mobile site is attractive and easy to use. This is important to note because 25% of Americans only access the Internet with a mobile device, whether it’s a tablet or smartphone. That’s 25% of Americans who would have a bad online experience with your company if you don’t use responsive design.

Responsive Design Positively Impacts SEO

Google has actually stated that responsive design is preferable to mobile templates. Not only is there one site for the Google bots to crawl, but responsive design also tends to load more quickly than mobile templates and websites that just don’t have a mobile solution in place. Because sites that load quickly adhere to Google’s Quality Guidelines, they’re more likely to receive better rankings in search results.

Web Designers Can Prepare for the Future

The code for responsive design not only fits the devices of today, but it also means your site will be viewable on future devices, too. No matter the screen size, responsive design adapts to fit. Whether your mobile site is viewed on watches, television screens, or Google Glass, everything will be easy to read, laid out beautifully, and user friendly.

How Responsive Design Performs

When your site ranks higher in searches, views better on any device, and responds to user commands more quickly, consumers are more likely to find your page and stay there. Actually, 65% of users say they will abandon a mobile site if it takes more than 15 seconds to load. Ease of use and quick load times lead to more completed conversions, which is what you’re aiming for, right?

Don’t settle for mobile templates. If your web designer can’t offer responsive design, it’s time to find a new one. Your business depends on it.