By Derek Iwasiuk
Creating a website with a responsive web design is the hottest topic today. Every company, regardless of size or industry, is working hard to provide to their consumers a website that loads perfectly on any screen size. This has been attributed to the fact that more web users choose to browse the Internet using mobile devices rather than desktop computers and laptops.
Mobile is the center of everyday life and business. More people around the world own smartphones. As a result, most of the traffic is mobile traffic. Search engines like Google are giving preference to websites that comes with responsive web designs. These are not the only benefits you get from a mobile friendly web design. The benefits of having a responsive web design include the following.
Cost Effective
Having a responsive web design is more cost effective. This is more so when compared to building one web version for mobile and another for desktop. Doing so can even lead to duplicate content which can affect your search engine ranking. This is a matter of the past. A responsive web design takes care of this problem. You get one website that readjusts itself to fit any screen size it is been viewed on.
Increased Web Traffic
Recent data from InMobi shows that approximately 60% of online usage is through mobile devices. This includes both smartphones and tablets. As aforementioned, Google gives preference to websites with mobile friendly designs. A responsive website will help you get traffic from various channels and your users will be able to access your content on any device.
Studies show that mobile users are more likely to consider using your website if it has been designed for mobile. Nobody wants to keep scrolling from left to right and back again trying to read the content. A desktop version will push mobile traffic away. Upgrading to a mobile friendly site will further improve user experience because all the required web elements will load up properly.
Boost SEO
In April of 2015, Google updated its algorithm to include mobile-friendliness. This means that websites with mobile friendly designs get a better ranking than those that don’t. Using a responsive web design means building a website with SEO in mind.
All in all, designing a mobile friendly website does not guarantee your website will rank high. Some mobile versions can hold you back. A poorly designed website will hold you back. Therefore, in addition to coding your website right to make it easy for search engine crawlers, you need to make sure your content is search engine optimized. Help from San Francisco SEO companies will come in handy.
Improve User Experience
Browsing a quality responsive website with a mobile device saves the user from the need of zooming, pinching and shrinking the screen. The website will adjust itself to the fit the screen it is being accessed on. This automatically improves usability.
Studies show that there is a high chance of 61% of your visitors abandoning your site if it is not optimized for mobile. What this means is that the traffic you lose will go to your competitors who have a responsive web design. With your website being a marketing tool, it is important that you optimize it not only for search but also for easy access. An improved user experience will boost sales and improve customer retention.
Improved Efficiency
A responsive web design will load faster on mobile. This is important when considering most people will abandon your website if it takes more than 5 seconds to load up. The code of a responsive website is optimized for speed.
Still on efficiency, having a responsive website means you don’t have to update two separate websites for your mobile and desktop websites. The case is the same when it comes to tracking your website with such tools as Google analytics. You deal with one single website rather than multiple. This can save you a considerable amount of time and money.
Increased Conversion
Responsive designs eliminate most of the problems traditional sites can present especially when it comes to performance, functionality and consistency. You will have a website that is sleek, modern, clean and easy to read. This will build customer trust and increase conversion. A responsive website makes it possible for users to shop online on any device. This will boost your sales.
Less Time in Marketing
Unlike having multiple websites for desktop and mobile, having a responsive website makes it easier for you to market your site. You only deal with one website instead of multiple. This will save you time in marketing.
These are just some of the benefits you stand to gain from having a responsive website. There are many more benefits you stand to gain. However, you have to prepare sufficiently. Understand the trends on the market and prepare for the future. Investing in a responsive website will pay off exponentially.
Derek Iwasiuk runs a national SEO firm headquartered in Minneapolis. His company offers some of the best services in San Francisco SEO to increase traffic. He is also focused in helping businesses achieve their objectives. Follow him on twitter @Diwasiuk
