Why Do I Need a Responsive Site?

If you’ve been following the web design and eCommerce industry news, then you’re probably aware of what responsive web design is. Responsive design is a format that shows a version of your site according to what device is being used to access it. This process of takes place through creating multiple versions of your site and designing it so that the user gets the most optimal version of your website no matter what the format is.

The question that’s probably on your mind is: “Why do I need a responsive site?” Well, one of the biggest changes that have occurred over the last few years is the increased usage of mobile devices to access the Internet. This trend has grown to the point that some websites are reporting twenty percent or more of their web traffic coming from mobile devices (smartphones & tablets).

As a result, everyone has started to build mobile websites for optimal viewing. However, several shifts have been made in the search landscape. Google has started to rank mobile results differently from normal search results. This meant that site owners would have to optimize for their mobile website and also for their normal website. The change means that site owners need to invest more time into their sites.

This also applies to offsite search optimization factors such as link building. Website owners would have to build links and content for their mobile sites which forces them to spend more time, money and energy into their online search campaign. A responsive eliminates the need for this as one website automatically displays the optimal version of the website.

Since only one website is being used, search efforts such as creating content and building links benefit the website for both the normal and mobile search results. This saves the site owner valuable time and money which can then be spent on other important aspects of running and building a business. But that’s not the only reason why site owners are switching to responsive web design.

Responsive design done properly can improve the website’s user experience. They don’t have to mess around with zooming and expanding the site as much. This makes it easier for users to read and consume the content on your website. The result is more website consumption, increased conversions and more shares which all translate to increased sales for a business.

Site owners are also switching to future-proof their websites. There’s no telling what new device will become popular in the future. If people start using a new device, the site owner will not have to set up a separate site to cater to the people using the new device. The site owner can simply create an optimized website for that device under the same, single URL.

Those are some of the reasons why it is beneficial to switch to a responsive site. The process of changing to this format can be difficult if you have a larger site as it will call for a lot of redesign and optimization. However, you have to look at it as a short term expense that will ultimately pay off in the long term.

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