Websites can have an incredible effect on people. Consider the popularity of Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit. Millions of users log on everyday and spend a considerable amount of time browsing them. In terms of business, a website may be the first impression between a potential customer and the company. As the saying goes, you only get one chance to introduce yourself.
While dynamic websites inspire users to spend time on them and create a sense of community, boring or complicated pages discourage people from sticking around or coming back to them in the future. With the ever-growing popularity of smartphones, it’s important now more than ever to have a website that can be easily navigated on a handheld device. Simply put, responsive web design is becoming a necessity.
What is Responsive Web Design?
Responsive web design as a website that provides a customized viewing experience for different browser platforms. A website created with RWD will display a different interface depending on what device is used to access the site.
Constantly being on the go has forced people to rely on technology outside of their computers. Without a mobile-friendly site, people will seek other options. Catering to this need is becoming more and more essential to success.
According to InformationWeek.com, 1 billion smartphones were shipped last year. In the fourth quarter alone there were over 284 million units shipped worldwide, an increase of more than 24% compared to the same period in the prior year. In 2012, Robert Hof of Forbes.com wrote about a Google survey that asked 1,100 adult smartphone users in the US about their usage habits. “Two-thirds of smartphone users say a mobile-friendly site makes them more likely to buy a company’s product or service, and 74% say they’re more likely to return to the site later.” So not only does a mobile-friendly site encourage sales, it increases the likelihood of repeat business.
SEE ALSO: Responsive Web Design and Inbound Marketing
Responsive Design Helps Increase Brand Loyalty
Brand loyalty is becoming a thing of the past, it’s now a matter of convenience. Having an incompatible website gives consumers a reason to look elsewhere. When a page works well across a wide variety of devices people feel more connected, like it was made just for them. This sense of personal connection, coupled with the ease of navigation, bonds the customer to the brand and encourages them to return for future purchases. The days of tapping the “mobile friendly version” button are quickly disappearing. Smartphones have changed the way people shop, not offering a mobile-friendly website alienates customers and portrays a sense of being behind the times.
