5 Advantages of Investing in Responsive Web Design

By now, it’s likely you’ve heard all about responsive web design. You’re familiar with what it is and everyone’s telling you to invest in it, but you’re just not sure why you should. In a bid to help make things clearer, here are 5 reasons that will help explain the benefits and advantages of responsive web design.

1. More sales are being carried out on smartphones

In 2012, the yearly mobile phone sales report was released by Gartner which indicated that 428 million smartphones were sold all over the world, in only the third quarter. The report also assessed that 4 out of 10 mobile phones sold globally were smartphones. Just let that sink in for a moment…

Bearing in mind, that was back in 2012. 3 years on, smartphones are outselling feature phones. The continual developments in smartphones and tablets mean that more and more people are able to access the internet right from the palm of their hands. And because online purchasing is so much more convenient for people, more and more sales are being made on smartphones.

As smartphone adoption has grown and mobile operating systems have become more advanced, people assume they can access all web pages on a screen as small as 3 inches. If you choose to invest in responsive web design you will ensure your business caters to this assumption.

2. Retain customer loyalty

Let’s say, for instance, you invest in a responsive website. A potential customer lands on your website from their mobile device, finds the navigation easy-to-use, has no issues locating the product they’re looking for and proceeds simply through your checkout process. That potential customer has converted into a paying customer within just a few clicks and enjoyed a good user experience throughout the entire process. Chances are, next time they need to buy online, they’ll remember you and purchase through you again, all because your website and customer service process was so simple to use.

3. Practical and budget-friendly

Simply put; one website, numerous devices. Even if it’s accessed by a smartphone, a tablet or a desktop computer, your website can still be viewed in the same manner, no matter what.

If you regularly update content on your website, such as adding weekly blog posts or new products for instance, you won’t need to concern yourself with uploading the same thing numerous times to various back-ends.

Also, despite what you may initially think, responsive websites are in fact more affordable than full mobile websites. Indeed, they suit the majority of businesses better than standard mobile websites because they keep a site’s existing template and branding. Did you know that it can take around a month to complete a dedicated mobile website? With a responsive site, on the other hand, completion time can be half of that.

4. Future proofing

You may not believe it, but desktop sales are decreasing slightly, whereas sales in mobile devices are continuing to increase. By investing in responsive web design and transforming your website now, you can safeguard yourself as technology continues to develop and potentially be prepared for other products that may appear on the market in the future.

5. Help with SEO

If being found in a good position in search engines is important for your business – and let’s face it, who doesn’t care about this? – then this might help to tip the scales in responsive web design’s favour. Google have recently announced that, next month, they will be including mobile-friendliness as a signal within their ranking factor, meaning anyone who has a responsive website may begin to see better ranking positions in place of those that don’t.

There’s no doubt that responsive web design is vital in today’s online marketing. It could be the difference between a thriving online business and a giant commercial flop. Which result will you choose?