It’s hard to imagine a time when smart phones and tablets didn’t exist. It’s even harder to imagine life without these handy little gadgets that can access infinite amounts of information with the touch of a finger. Today, smart phones and tablets of many different sizes are finding their way into the hands of tech-hungry people all around the world. I see toddlers becoming tablet experts before they can even talk. I see teenagers walking into walls and doors because their eyes are glue to their precious phone screens. With the rise of smart phones and tablets, it’s important that websites are able to respond to different screen sizes and resolutions.
Responsive Web Design is an approach aimed at designing websites that respond and re-size in order to perfectly fit different screen resolutions across multiple devices. To understand why it is so significant to have a responsive web design, it is important to understand that 31% of people use their phone to go online over their computer. American consumers also spend 1.4 hours on average browsing the web on their mobile device. Moreover, 3 out of 4 people will abandon a site if it loads in less than 5 seconds.
The responsive web-design approach has multiple benefits for users, marketers, developers, and businesses:
Consistent Usability
Instead of designing a website for multiple platforms and resolutions, your website will re-size itself to fit all screen sizes. If your mobile site looks different than the desktop version, it can easily frustrate customers. A consistent experience, on the other hand, will engage users and encourage them to stay on the site.
Higher conversion rates and sales
Consistent usability leads to higher conversion rates and sales. If the site can load faster and is easily accessible on any device, customers are more likely to use the website.
Better SEO
Google wants to make sure they are providing the best search results. Therefore they will demote your website if it’s not mobile responsive.
Simplified Analytics and Reporting
Having only one URL for a responsive website means that there is only one set of analytics to examine and report. The combined reports can make it easier to analyze conversion paths to figure out where improvements are needed.
Common Code Base
Responsive design can also benefit developers. Changes that need to be seen on all devices can be made in one place. This simplified development process can save time and money.