Responsive Web Design: The Time is Now
If you've made it this far in life, you probably already realize how important it is to adapt to a situation. Being able to realize things cannot always go your way and having the ability to accommodate situations/feelings is a vital survival and success skill.
This rings true in all areas of life, including web development. Like a chameleon who adapts to its surroundings, your website must also adapt to different devices. If a user is on a mobile device and your website has not been made to adapt to their screen, they will probably leave your website. This loss of interest often results in a loss of business opportunity.
Mobile vs Responsive Design
Responsive design has been the most popular and widely used method for designing a mobile website. It requires one website to be coded to adapt to all screen sizes from any device. Whether the website is viewed from a desktop computer or handheld device, the content is not compromised. It simply shifts and changes to the best display for each screen.
Mobile templates are built for each specific site, not screen size like responsive design. They do not adapt to different devices, and if a user has to try to adapt themselves, there is higher chance they will give up on your website. This is why your website needs to be responsive. Check out some of the statistics below to give yourself an idea of just how important mobile-friendly websites are and why you should choose responsive over mobile templates.
Mobile Device Statistics
According to Smart Insights, mobile devices account for:
- More than 20% of Google searches
- In 2012, more than 50% of local searches
- In the USA, 25% of internet users
- 61% say they like brands better when their websites are mobile-friendly
- 25.85% of all emails opened happen on a mobile device
- According to Google's Think Insights, the follow statistics ring true for mobile users:
61% of users will leave if they can't find what they are looking for on a mobile device. On the flip side, users are 67% more likely to make a purchase if they have a positive mobile encounter with a website. According to ComScore, over half (55%) of social media activity happens on a mobile device.
Google Prefers Responsive
In 2012, Google's Pierre Farr revealed at SMX Advanced that Google will index responsive websites before mobile templates. It's easier for Google to crawl and index responsive websites with little room for index errors. If you want to push your brand forward past your competitor's mobile template websites, it literally pays to make a responsive website over a mobile template website.
Speed Matters
The standard loading time for content on a mobile device is 1 second and the entire page is under 2 seconds, according to Google's PageSpeed. When loading a website designed for a desktop on a mobile device, these speeds are typically impossible. PageSpeed Insights will tell you how fast your website is loading as well as how to make it load faster.
What Does the Future Hold?
As newer devices are being used for web browsing now and in years to come, having a responsive website will enable your site to look clean and concise no matter which device is/will be used. Since technology is moving quickly, it is critical that you provide users with a mobile website that can adapt to all kinds of screens. The future of your business depends on it!