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The benefits in having a Responsive Website

Design…

ComScore predicts that in 2013 mobile devices will overtake traditional desktops computers as the primary means of accessing the internet. For businesses this means that prospective customers purchase decisions are increasingly being driven by their interaction with your brand on a tablet, laptop or smartphone.

The rapid growth in mobile connected devices has also meant that screen sizes and resolutions are no longer as uniform as the once were. As a result, the traditional approach of having both a desktop and mobile version of your website is no longer an effective solution for your business – there are simply too many variations to account for.

In today’s hand held economy what your business really needs is a Responsive Website Design.

What is Responsive Website Design?

A Responsive Website Design is a single website which is built in a particular way to adapt its look and feel “responsively”, providing users with the best viewing experience for their device – be it a smartphone, tablet, laptop or even smart TV – it literally adjust the page format to suit the device (visit www.lovethatpet.com on a desktop, then on a tablet, and then on your smartphone – experience intelligent responsive design and a website with intelligence).

Why you should choose a Responsive Web Design for your Business Website?

Responsive Website Design is fast becoming the future for website design and is relevant to both the B2C and B2B markets. Here are our top 7 reasons your business should be considering a Responsive Website Design.

1. Reach Potential Customers Anytime, Anywhere

Web browsing habits are changing. Your prospective customers will likely access your website from multiple devices before they make the decision to buy your products or book your services – whether it’s from their PC in the office, from their iPhone on the bus or their tablet on couch whilst watching TV – and often all of the above. A Responsive Web Design ensures you will be able to engage with your prospective customers anywhere and anytime whilst delivering a consistent user experience and brand message.

2. Improve Search Engine Visibility

We all know how important Search Engine visibility is when it comes to attracting and converting customers online. You may also know that, given a choice, Google will generally rank a website with mobile design higher for searches made from mobile device. What you may not know is that Google specifically recommends Responsive Website Design as best practice in improving website visibility across devices – that’s a pretty big clue as to where they see the web is heading.

As a single website a Responsive Design also has other advantages for your Search Engine Optimisation activity. First, one website means only one set of links to manage. No longer will your link outreach activities be diluted by spreading links between a mobile and desktop version of you website. Second, you no longer have to deal with duplicate content issues – all your content resides in a single website. These added benefits will mean you have more time to dedicate to value-add content activities that will further increase your Search Engine visibility.

Third, and finally, a Responsive Website has significant implications for local search. From bars and restaurants to plumbers and electricians, if your business is built on being locally relevant and visible, a responsive website will give a considerable edge over your competition. Not only will a well-optimised Responsive Website rank better for mobile and local keyword phrases, the mobile-friendly user experience (including features like click to call) will improve your conversions as well.

3. Increase Sales and Conversions

Whilst your prospective customers may be happy to search for products or services on a mobile device the majority will still be more comfortable undertaking the purchase or booking process via a desktop or laptop computer. Providing a consistent user experience across devices has been shown to significantly improve conversion rates for multi-channel website users.

4. Improve Customer Experience

With a Responsive Design your website is more than just a place for people to buy your products or book your services. For many users your responsive website has the potential to serve as a ‘pocket guide’ – an easily accessible reference for news, reviews, activities, events, maps and customer service. In addition to enhancing your user’s perceptions of your brand this content is extremely attractive to search engines.

5. Save Time & Money

It’s true that upfront costs to develop a Responsive Website Design may be more expensive than a traditional desktop and mobile website combination but there are significant time and cost savings to be had over the life of the website.

First, one website means content only needs to be updated once, your marketing team will no longer spend copious time duplicating work across mobile and desktop websites.

Second, with the traditional approach, every time a new screen size or resolution comes along you will be required to develop a new template to fit that format. With a responsive design that problem never arises, the site simple adjusts to the screen it is presented with. With a responsive design you are effectively future proofing your website knows what else on the horizon.

6. Streamline Analytics and Reporting

With a single website comes the ability to track content interaction, user journeys and conversion funnels from a single analytics platform. Google Analytics has already been optimised to account for Responsive Website Designs and as a result, you will be able to gain a rich, single view of your customers which you can use in your sales and marketing activities.

7. Get the Jump on Your Competition

Less than 2% of websites are currently optimised for mobile, let alone responsive design. Your business has the opportunity to gain a significant edge over the competition by being the first to adopt a Responsive Website Design.

Attribution: SEO Works