Your website needs to works well on all different screen sizes and devices.
Responsive web design allows a website’s layout to change as size of the screen being used to view that site changes. User experience of the website will be comparable, whether using desktop, tablet or mobile.
A wide screen can display multiple columns of content while a small screen can have that same content presented in a single column with text and links that are appropriately sized to be read and used on that smaller display.
Mobile usage now outperforms desktop
According to Ofcom, we now spend almost twice as long online with our smartphones than on laptops and personal computers. 52% of people viewed their tablets and smartphones as being the most important device for getting online in 2015 (an increase of 14 percentage points over 2014). We are spending longer online on their smartphones and tablets (almost 2 hours a day) than on laptop or desktop.
The implications are clear. If you are not able to reach your audience through mobile search or display, or you’re not providing a satisfactory mobile experience, you will miss out compared to competitors who are.
Support the multi-screeners
Responsive websites display well on all devicesMany users will access websites at different times using different devices. This means that a consistent experience is needed. Your website must work well regardless of which device they may be using at a given time
Equally, it would be dangerous to degrade the desktop experience and have a website designed as ‘mobile first.’ With so many website visits still on desktop or laptop it is important to ensure consistency of information across all devices, but with a layout and experience suited to each individual screen size.
A responsive website provides future scalability
A responsive website will give you the best chance to support newer devices and screens in the future. Responsive sites are fluid, scaling up or down as needed to best fit the screens being used to access the site. So as new devices hit the market with different screen sizes, responsive websites will already be prepared with a design and experience best suited to whatever screen sizes they throw at us.
A responsive website will improve your Search Engine Rankings
Search engines favour responsive websites. Google recommends using responsive web design to support different devices and screen sizes. In 2014 it began adding a “Mobile Friendly” label to websites that used this approach when those sites appeared in a search results page on a mobile device.
Since 21 April 2015 Google has gone one step further, introducing mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal and rewarding sites built responsively for multi-device support. In other words, Google now penalises websites that are not responsive.
It is in your interest to ensure your website works well across all different screen sizes and devices. Failing to have a responsive website will make your website harder to find in search engines. And this could give potential customers a reason to leave your site and take their business elsewhere.
So it pays for your website to be responsive.
Bartley Marketing design responsive websites. We can also help you with your search engine optimisation and copywriting, providing you with a website that works on all levels as soon as it goes live.
Get in touch for more information…
Bartley Marketing is based in Lymington and the New Forest. Our team provides the full range of marketing services to businesses of all sizes, including marketing planning, strategy and consultancy; brand identity and positioning; creative design; web design and search engine optimisation; advertising; digital marketing; promotions; PR; social media set up and management; direct communications; events; photography and ‘see inside’ media. Bartley Marketing owns Lymington.com, a media channel focused on promoting and championing businesses in Lymington and the New Forest.