What Is A Responsive Website And Why Do I Need One?

Yes, we can hear you asking, “What the heck is responsive web design?!” Do you ever try searching for something on Google Search with your phone or tablet, and when you select a result and it comes up, the page is cut-off? You have to either scroll side to side to read all the content, or you have to zoom in to click on a link or to even read the words? That website is not responsive. You could probably see it really well on your computer screen, but the smaller devices you use, you’ll notice the website doesn’t respond to those screen sizes. Responsive web design makes your web page look good on all devices (desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and phones) no matter what browser they’re using.

Responsive Website vs. Mobile Website

The difference between a “Responsive Website” and a “Mobile Website” is that a responsive site will respond to your device’s screen resolution dynamically with endless sizes available. A “Mobile Website” is what was built before the responsive idea came about, and will generally only have 2 options – the desktop version of a site with a set width, and the mobile version of a site with a set width. The issue with the “Mobile Website” is that technology is changing very fast, and mobile devices continue to evolve utilizing different screen resolutions. The only way to make sure that your site is being displayed properly on any device is to build a responsive site that will respond to the ever growing list of screen resolutions.

Having a fully responsive website is important, especially these days where almost everyone owns and uses a tablet or phone instead of a computer or laptop. It’s important to have a website with a responsive design so no matter what device the users are using, your website responds to the size of their screen. Keeping up with the times will show that your business is not stuck in the past and you can move forward with the best of them. You want to have a web design that is convenient and easy-to-use for the users looking at it because if it’s not, you will lose your traffic and people will not stay on your website. Furthermore – Google announced that starting April 21st 2015 that your mobile friendliness will now be used as a ranking signal, effecting your search engine rankings (Read Google’s full article here).

Statistics On Consumer Mobile Usage

In 2016, Ofcom Consumer Research found that 68% of consumers in the USA used a mobile device to view business websites, 61% used a desktop computer, 69 % used a laptop, and 49% used a tablet.

So with a wide array of devices being used, it would benefit your business to have a fully responsive website.