An online brochure of your services and projects is no longer acceptable. Our clients, those seeking professional services (i.e. A/E/C, Legal & Financial Services) also expect a mobile experience that meets their needs. Pinching to zoom and side scrolling because the entire site does not fit on the screen is frustrating. So how do you ensure a consistent experience across all mobile devices? If you are considering a website redesign, here are some reasons to incorporate responsive web design into your plan.
1. Website automatically adjusts to device
A responsive website design automatically adjusts its layout to adapt to the screen size and orientation of the mobile device being used. Not to be confused with a mobile only site which sends the Visitor to a separate URL. Albeit mobile-optimized, it usually contains less content than the full site. With responsive design, the Visitor sees all the same content found on the full site.
2. Mobile Device Usage Has Surged
According to a survey conducted by Pew Research Center 68% of adults in the United States currently own a smartphone, 45% own a tablet, nearly 60% of website traffic comes from mobile devices and usage continues to grow. While desktop usage is far from obsolete, mobile browsing has overtaken desktop usage in recent years. These stats show the importance of delivering a hi-caliber mobile experience consistent with a first rate desktop version.
3. Social Media on Mobile Has increased
Nearly 80 percent of social media time is now spent on mobile devices, according to comScore. This means if your firm is active on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube, you’re going to get an increase in traffic from Visitors via their mobile device. A responsive site allows you to provide a seamless communicative experience from social networks – to your website.
4. It’s Scalable
Technology continues to change and new devices with varying screen sizes come to market at a rapid pace. Smart watches are gaining popularity and although Google Glass did not work out, the invention means that wearable computers such as this will make an appearance in the future. So far, responsive design has kept up with technology changes better than mobile only sites as they can become outdated quickly.
5. Improves Search Engine Rankings
On 4/21/2015 Google began to preference mobile friendly websites in their search engine rankings, with responsive sites appearing at the top of search results. Google determined responsive sites provide a better user experience, and favored their use of a single URL (responsive sites) vs. a separate URL (mobile only sites). With Google being the most popular search engine in the world, having a responsive site becomes a very important piece of your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy.
Takeaway: One of your firm’s greatest marketing and business development tools is your website. Many times it’s your first impression and every detail matters. Click to find out if your website is mobile friendly
Also published on The Society for Marketing Professional Services – New York Chapter website. www.smpsny.org