You have a website, but is your website Responsive?
Most of us have experienced using a non-responsive website at one time or another. The experience is always the same having to slide and shrinking around a website on your handheld device looking for an address or phone number. For me, nothing is more frustrating than having to use a non-responsive website while trying to quickly find some basic information. If you are not exactly sure what responsive design is hopefully this post will offer you some insight to what it is and how it works.
Responsive design enters the market after smartphones and handheld devices offered people the ability to browse the internet. As established by Ethan Marcotte, responsive web design is the combination of a fluid grid, flexible media, and media queries. Responsive websites have fluid layouts that change and adapt regardless of the screen size it's being viewed. When a responsive design is applied to a website or web application the desktop version of that site and all of its media adapts to screen it's being viewed on aimed to provide the user an optimal viewing experience. The purpose is to provide your users access to information fast, easy and frustration free.
7 Reasons Why Responsive Design Matters
- Responsive sites improve your website's organic SEO ranking. According to Google responsive sites will perform drastically better in search ranking due to the single URLs vs. separate URLs for mobile versions. In addition, they provide a better user experience. Overall, smartphone searching has surpassed desktop searches.
- Responsive design will adapt to any device screen size, providing the user an optimal viewing experience.
- One website is easier to manage which will increase your return on investment (ROI). One website is simpler to manage to make it more cost effective.
- Responsive websites are more convenient for the mobile user, removing the need to zoom in and out constantly or side to side. When the website experience is better for the user they will continue to use your site.
- Mobile use is rising, over half the population of adults in the world own a smartphone, and over half of all website traffic is from a mobile device.
- Mobile shopping is constantly increasing. 80% of consumers regularly use their smartphone to online shop.
- Social Media platforms increase mobile visitors. 55% of all social media consumption happens on mobile devices so sharing links to your website means an increase in mobile visitors.
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