Responsive design has only been around for a few years, but it is already becoming very important.
It consists of designing websites that automatically adapt and change their designs according to the size of the device being used to view them.
But how important is this type of design really, and should you use it for your own website?
Mobile is becoming more important
One of the main reasons why responsive websites are becoming important is because of the dramatic rise of the use of mobile phones to access the internet.
Whereas a few years ago, nearly everyone viewed websites on computers, this is no longer the case.
If people want to view websites on their mobile phones and tablets, you want them to be able to see yours clearly, otherwise they may simply not spend any time on it.
Mobile search is growing
More people are also using their mobile devices to search the internet. This is especially the case for local search, where people search for businesses and services in their local areas.
And now Google is also giving preference to sites that are mobile optimised when people search on mobile devices. Following a large algorithm update in April 2015, Google is now ensuring that more mobile-friendly sites are showing in the search engines for people searching on mobile devices.
This makes complete sense when you look at Google’s overall aim of providing the most relevant results. It does not want to provide its users with websites that they cannot view properly.
Google likes responsive sites
As well as the algorithm update that gives preference to mobile-optimised sites, there is also another reason why having a responsive website is a good idea when it comes to SEO.
Google has made no secret of the fact that it prefers responsive design over templates. This is because having just one URL is easier for the search engine to crawl, and it also makes content easier to share and link to.
There are suggestions that responsive sites perform better than template sites, so this is worth considering when you make your decision.
Show your customers that you care about their experience
Even if you put the issue of SEO to one side, there is another important reason why a responsive site is a good idea.
One of the main things that you want to provide your visitors with is a good experience when they visit your website. That means fast-loading pages, clear design and navigation, readable text and clickable buttons.
If your site is difficult to view, slow to load and confusing, you will essentially be telling your visitors that you do not care about their experience.
Responsive design ensures that everyone can enjoy the best experience whichever devices they want to use to view your site – and this can boost trust and loyalty in your business.
Easier for you to look after
There is another good reason why responsive design can be a good idea. By only having one website to look after, your job is made that much easier.
If you have two different sites to update, this is going to take a lot more of your time, and there is a greater chance that you will make mistakes.
However, with responsive design, you only have to make changes to one site, saving you time that you can put into other tasks.
Future proof your site
Technology is changing all the time, as we have seen clearly in recent years with the growth of mobile use. If you want to future proof your site, using a responsive design is one of the best ways that you can do this.
By getting one site based on responsive design, you can relax in the knowledge that anyone will be able to access it in the foreseeable future without experiencing any problems.
Investigate responsive design for your site
Responsive design may or may not be the right solution for your business website. However, because of all the benefits it can bring, it is certainly worth investigating.
If the benefits seem worth it to you, find a designer experienced in this type of design, and find out how they can help you improve your website.
