What is a responsive website?
Responsive website designs incorporate designing and coding a website so that it’s adaptive to mobile devices as it is on your computer. In essence, there is minimal resizing and scrolling as to improve the end user’s experience.
Is your website responsive?
Grab your smart phone or tablet and have a look at your website. If you witness any of these symptoms:
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Can’t open your website.
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The entire page is shrunk on the screen.
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Structure and layout of your website is disproportional.
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Its taking ages to load (could be an internet speed factor also).
If you’ve witnessed any of these symptoms, your website is NOT responsive. This is a big issue, if you read on you’ll find out why!
My website isn’t responsive, so what?
Well this is a problem.
At present, 46% of people searching Google use mobile and tablet devices as their exclusive source. Furthermore, this number is forecasted to rise exponentially over the coming years.
Without a responsive site, it can impact with higher bounce rates and less time spend on your website, if your focused on conversion, a HUGE no no. If you’ve ever been on a website with your mobile device that isn’t responsive, you would notice the appearance and functionality is impaired. Symptoms such as:
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Disproportion of text, lines and headings.
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Some non-responsive sites CANNOT be opened on mobile devices.
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Impedes search engine rankings & SEO.
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Inability to use certain functions of the site, eg: purchasing
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At times, longer loading times.
Your website should ALWAYS engage the end user. Factors associated with a non responsive site limit your users experience and as a result, not only are you penalised by Google, but you’re also penalised from a potential customer. Most people ‘bounce’ from websites when they’re not visually appealing and user friendly.
The future of Responsive website designs
Today, 5 years olds are on Ipads playing games and 12 year olds are walking down the street on their Iphones. When I was 5 I was watching play school…….
It’s extremely obvious that mobile users are growing at an exponential rate. With faster internet speeds, 4g applications and mass creation of mobile apps, the market of mobile users is growing. This is why it’s so important that all platforms your business uses online are RESPONSIVE, but of utmost importance, your website!
To sum things are, the marketplace is changing to a responsive community, without a responsive site, your business could be missing out on leads, impeded with search results and ultimately not engaging your consumers to the fullest extent.