Responsive Web Design Is Not Optional Anymore – It’s Mandatory

The last few years have seen the rapid growth of smart phone usage. In 2014, only a small percentage (22%) of people owing such a device used their phone to search on the Internet. Only 2/3 of the population owned a smartphone.

The introduction of 4G Internet as well as other innovations made an impact on how people used mobile gadgets. Then, all through 2014, 4G subscriptions increased tremendously from 2.7 million to 23.6 million.

As 2016 came to an end, mobile devices have surpassed desktops when it comes to web usage – meaning more people search the Internet using smart phones and tablets rather than their desktop or laptop.

This shows a major transformation in user behavior; for example, in UK, people use their mobile gadgets to shop, bank and check on their social media account online. According to a study, 7 out of 10 adults use their smartphone – and this includes seniors over 65 – since the public is becoming more high-tech nowadays.

These are the main reasons why it is very critical to consider investing in responsive web design. Businesses need a website that can be displayed well on the screen of all kinds of mobile devices – since people could be browsing a website with the use of a smartphone or tablet.

Importance and Advantages of Responsive Web Design

Responsive web design enables web content and pages to adjust to all kinds of resolutions and devices. Therefore, even if people browse a website using their smart phone or laptop, it will still be easy to navigate, regardless of varying screen sizes. Responsive web design gives an optimal experience for users, meaning they can view and navigate the site with very minimal resizing and scrolling.

Since responsive web design has the ability to enhance overall user experience, this can let the users perceive a business and brand in a more positive way. When customers are able to access a website with ease on any platform, they will possibly return to do business in the future and it is more likely for the website to get a higher conversion rate. During this time – when more traffic to sites come from mobile gadgets — it is critical to consider this factor when creating or maintaining a website.

As earlier mentioned, responsive web design, as well as mobile-first indexing, are also critical factors in ranking. Generally, it is faster for responsive sites to load, making them more likely to increase ranking and decrease bounce rate. Social sharing is also a lot easier with responsive web design, letting a business and brand develop a bigger audience.

When a website is mobile friendly, SEO campaigns and site maintenance become a lot smoother as well. With responsive web design, you just have to manage one website, making it faster and less expensive than adding a stand-alone mobile application to the desktop website.

Now that mobile-friendly websites have become a standard in the industry with the help of mobile-first indexing, businesses should make sure that they have the best possible web design.