5 reasons why you need a mobile responsive website

In today’s tech savvy world, it’s no surprise that mobile usage has edged its way to overtake desktop.

However, a positive customer experience will always be one of the most important elements for business success.

So, while device usage has increased massively in recent years, the basic principle remains the same - if your website fails to impress, your customers won’t wait around.

Which brings us to responsive design; What is it and why do I need it?

A responsive website in one that is built in such a way that content, images and the overall layout and display are viewed the same way regardless of the device type. This way, if a user firstly visits a website on a desktop and then later on a mobile or tablet, their experience will be a consistent one.

When your website is viewed on a smaller screen, the content is scaled to fit accordingly so that images and text aren’t cropped out or difficult to see. Mobile responsive design plays a crucial role in ensuring your site is optimised to convert visitors into quality leads.

Still not convinced? Have a look at these undeniable reasons your website needs to be responsive:

1. Growth in mobile usage

With the obvious transition to greater mobile usage, it might come as a surprise that many companies have yet to make their site responsive.

Online behavioural patterns confirm people are not only using portable devices for casual social media browsing, but also for research and purchasing. Your website must be adaptable to each user’s screen size to ensure a consistent view of valuable information and content.

Remember, your website is often the first point of customer contact, make sure your site instils confidence and trust from the get go. 

Frustration often causes visitors to prematurely bounce from your website and search elsewhere (often with your competitor).

Google has stated that 61% of users are unlikely to return to a mobile site they had trouble accessing and a massive 40% will instead visit a competitors site¹. 

With almost 60% of Google searches performed on mobile², it’s vital that your website is easily found. Google want to offer their users the best search results with the best websites to avoid unsatisfactory sessions. With only one URL, mobile responsive design makes it easier for Google to bot crawl your website and all its content, increasing the chance of your website gaining a higher page ranking. 

Read: Top 5 Free Keyword Research tools 

4. Loading speed

Customers are more impatient than ever. So much so that even a one second delay in loading time can result in a 7% reduction in conversions³. Google standards recommend that an entire page should load in under 2 seconds on mobile devices.

While this is achievable with responsive design, loading a desktop website on a mobile device simply can’t reach this speed. Check your website speed with Google.

Most businesses now incorporate some form of content marketing and social media into their strategy to drive website traffic. This social media and blogging boom means more customers than ever are engaging with your content on mobile devices.

So, what happens when these visitors arrive on a site that’s difficult to navigate and a struggle to read content on? They leave! A mobile responsive design avoids these unnecessary bounces, offering your users an enjoyable website experience with a greater chance they’ll return in the future.

A mobile responsive website is no longer a “nice to have” feature, it’s a necessity for growing your business online. Responsive design will ensure a consistent experience for all visitors, regardless of device type.

This leads to your potential customers having an initial positive experience with your business, making it less likely they will search elsewhere and encourages them to return in the future.

Sources:

¹ MicKinsey & Company
² Search Engine Land
³ Kissmetrics