Apple released its first iPhone in 2007, and technology hasn’t been the same since. The boom of the modern smartphone has completely changed the way people use the internet. Business owners have increasingly turned to responsive web design companies in an effort to modernize their websites — and for good reason!
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 8.2% of U.S. households owned computers in 1984. It took 16 long years for this number to increase to 50%. But less than seven years after the iPhone’s release, mobile devices already generate more web traffic than personal computers.
So if your website isn’t optimized for mobile devices, you may be losing ground to your competition.
What is Responsive Design?
A website with responsive design displays pages differently depending on the screen resolution of the user’s device. When the website detects a smaller display—such as that of a smartphone, or a tablet—it automatically adjusts the user experience by changing the layout and making sure all the displayed text is readable without having to zoom in. The images and graphical elements are also optimized for the various screen sizes, and some elements that might be effective on a desktop but distracting on a small screen (such as a slide show) might be left out.
Why Should You Invest In A Responsive Website?
Put simply, a responsive website can increase your revenue.
Before smartphones became so common, most mobile Internet users browsed the web on feature phones with small text-based displays. This prompted business owners to create separate mobile versions of their websites. For example, MyBusiness.com would redirect mobile users to Mobile.MyBusiness.com. Although this made it possible for mobile users to see the content, it also increased web development expenses because both websites had to be maintained for content. In addition, the mobile version of the website was less likely to show up in search engine results.
Responsive web design eliminates all of these issues by creating a single website that serves all users equally, regardless of the device being used. For small business owners who manage their own websites, this makes it possible to access the mobile market without hiring additional employees or freelancers. If you already manage your own website, you’ll be able to keep most of your content elements.
If you currently maintain separate mobile and desktop websites, switching to a responsive design can greatly reduce your advertising budget and increase the effectiveness of your search engine optimization (SEO). Running separate advertising campaigns on services such as Google AdWords increases your expenses and requires additional resources for tracking keywords and response rates. Since responsive design eliminates these expenses, you may see a return on your investment almost instantly.
Are you ready to modernize your website and capture the new mobile customer base? Call us and ask about our responsive web design services today!
SOURCES:
https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p20-569.pdf