In this article, I would like to talk about responsive web design, and in particular, its importance to your business. In case you haven’t heard of it, responsive web design (RWD) offers an optimised browsing experience, which means that a website can react to the size of a user’s device, whether it is a desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile phone.
I would like to base the importance of responsive website design on a few statistics; one being that in 2016, mobile web usage overtook desktop for the very first time. According to Statista, the number of mobile phone users is expected to surpass five billion internationally. Combining these two statistics makes it clear that mobile traffic is growing more and more. It was also reported that 7 in 10 adults use smartphones to shop online, carry out mobile banking and scroll through social media. As a matter of fact, 60% of searches now come from a mobile device.
The fact is, people are more likely to visit your website on a mobile phone. Therefore, having the right layout for the right platform in order to display everything you want users to see, is of high importance.
Responsive web design is crucial for your business, and that’s why all the websites we build at Cariad have been designed and developed with responsiveness in mind. Let’s just say that if your website isn’t functioning properly, people are more likely to leave it. Below I would like to outline a few points about why having a responsive website design is important for your business and why your website should be responsive. Hopefully, it already is, but if it isn’t, you should definitely give us a call!
- Increase reach to customers and clients on smaller devices
Getting people to your website is one thing, providing an optimal experience is another. With responsive website design, not only can the user find your business on the go, they can also read and navigate the site with minimum resizing and scrolling, meaning they can get the information they want easily and quickly.
- A consistent experience that can increase lead generation, sales and conversions
Responsive website design is all about the user interface and how it adapts to different screen sizes. Having a clear and easy to navigate site will improve the user experience and that could translate into a positive outcome for your brand and business. If your customers can easily access your website on all platforms, they are more likely going to return for more business or recommend your website to people they know. In the end, this means a higher conversion rate for your website, and all because of its responsiveness.
- Staying ahead of the competition
You may be surprised to learn that there are many businesses out there, maybe even competitors, whose websites are not responsive. This means having a responsive website can put you in the lead. Even if your competitors do have a responsive website – which will be the majority of cases – this doesn’t necessarily put them in the lead. The design of a website is just as important as its responsiveness. Having a bad website design will put people off for many reasons. Our design team will always ensure your website looks better than your competitors because we know how important first impressions are.
And after we have ensured your website has been designed and developed to the highest standards, we will optimise it so that people can see it before they can even get to your competitors.
To summarise, the importance of a responsive website design will greatly benefit your business. At Cariad, we are here to ensure that your business gets the success it deserves – from website design to its optimisation, we have the right people to get you to the top of Google.