Responsive web design is something that business owners cannot afford to ignore. In fact, it continues to become increasingly important for businesses to have a responsive website.
Responsive websites not only provide a better user experience for mobile visitors but also impacts your SEO. In fact, responsive design is now a factor in Google’s search ranking algorithm. This means that if your website isn’t responsive, you could be missing out on potential traffic and customers.
In addition to the SEO benefits, responsive web design also provides a better user experience for mobile visitors.
Studies have shown that more people are using their mobile devices to access the internet. That is only going to continue to grow.
If your website isn’t responsive, you are likely missing out on potential customers. Let’s look at the value of responsive design more in-depth. How you can make your website responsive to reap the rewards?
What is responsive web design?
Responsive web design is a type of web design that allows your website to adapt to the device someone is using.
This means that whether someone is viewing your website on a desktop computer, a tablet, or a smartphone, they will be able to see it correctly.
Most websites are built on a grid system, which means that they are composed of a series of rows and columns.
A responsive website will adjust to the size of the screen it is being viewed on, whether that is a large desktop monitor or a small smartphone.
By being able to adjust the browser window size based on screen width, responsive websites can provide an optimized viewing experience.
Responsive web design is important for small businesses because it:
- Provides a better user experience for mobile visitors
- Impacts your SEO
- Allows you to reach more potential customers.
The impact of responsive web design on SEO
Responsive design is now a factor in Google’s search ranking algorithm as it prioritizes responsive websites in search results for users on mobile devices.
Responsive web design utilizes different coding techniques to adjust a website’s layout and content based on the device it is being viewed on.
This allows for a better user experience as the website will be easy to read and navigate regardless of the device someone is using.
In addition, responsive websites are easier for Google to crawl and index which can impact your SEO.
This means that if your website isn’t responsive, you likely won’t rank on page one of the search engine results pages (SERPs) and will miss out on potential traffic and customers.
A better user experience
Studies have shown that responsive websites provide a better user experience for mobile visitors than traditional websites.
In fact, research has found that 79% of mobile users are more likely to return to a website that is responsive. In addition, 40% of mobile users will leave a website that is not responsive.
If a user lands on a poorly formatted or unusable page on their mobile device, they are more like to “bounce” – meaning that they will quickly leave the site.
You may have a lot of great content on your website, but if users bounce from your site quickly, they’ll never have a chance to see it.
Google may also see this as your site not providing valuable content for specific keywords, causing your rankings to drop.
Ideally, you want a website with a compelling user experience both on desktop and mobile so that they:
- Stay engaged with your content
- Increase their time on your web pages
- Ideally fill out a form or contact your business directly
How to make your website responsive
If you are a small business owner and want to make your website responsive, there are a few things you can do.
The first is to use a responsive web design template or theme for your website. These templates are built to be responsive. They will automatically adjust the layout of your website based on the device it is being viewed on.
Another option is to hire a web designer or developer to create a responsive website for you.
This is often the best option. It allows you to have a custom responsive website that is tailored to your specific business needs.
A responsive website eliminates the need for a desktop and mobile version of your website. Instead, you only need one website that will look great on any device.
No matter which route you choose, making your website responsive is an important step in:
- Providing a better user experience for your mobile visitors
- Ensuring that your website is visible in search results.
In summary
A responsive website is important for small businesses because it provides a better user experience for mobile visitors. It also impacts your SEO, and allows you to reach more potential customers.
By being responsive, your website will adjust to the size of the screen it is being viewed on. This means that potential customers will have an easy time viewing your website on any device. This can greatly impact your SEO ranking and increase traffic and conversions.
