What is a responsive website?

A responsive website is a website designed to be viewed on all devices from desktop to a mobile phone.

Did you know that approximately half of the overall web traffic comes from mobile devices?

Responsive website design or mobile-first has taken over and you should be prepared. In order to stay relevant, you need to ensure your content is relevant.

An unsatisfactory mobile experience reflects poorly on the brand serving it. Consequently consumers are savvy enough to quickly, look elsewhere.

Standards for responsive websites get higher daily. Because mobile devices are such dominant forces in our lives, brands and businesses alike need to invest in optimising their presence to keep users engaged. Missing out on business because of a poor mobile experience can be avoided.

In our time poor environment we tend to look for products or services on our mobile first. And sometimes we only ever use their mobile phone. Even though laptops and desktops are still readily used, mobile searches have sky rocketed

Optimised for mobile websites translates to a better customer experience. Which in turn results in more business.

Given a choice, why would you spend time on a website that is slow or visibly challenging. With the usage of mobile devices being so high, a mobile-first approach helps maintain your relevance. Give your customers what they want, an easy experience.

So what is a responsive website?

A mobile-first approach means designing a website with an emphasis on your mobile experience. It’s important to keep the following in mind when thinking web design.

1. Prioritise content for mobile devices

Prioritise content when designing for mobile. With more restrictions on smaller screens, it’s important to ensure crucial elements are displayed. Having important content displayed creates more opportunities for your user engagement. This in turn keeps sessions open longer, and reducing bounce-rates.

2. Make navigation easy

Providing an easy to read menu is critical when it comes to delivering a mobile-first presence. If you can’t find what you are looking for, you leave and jump onto another website. Right?

3. Say No to pop-ups

Pop-ups seem like fun when you are creating your website (or having it made for you), but Google have made it quite clear that pop-ups have strict guidelines. Using pop-ups in a bad way can trigger a penalty from Google. To avoid a penalty, Google recommends using pop-ups that don’t make your website’s content less accessible and are easy to close. Hence using them on a mobile can be quite challenging.

What is the future of mobile first

You may be curious about the future impact of mobile-first design on your online presence.

Here's a glimpse into what lies ahead ~

• User-Centric Experience ~Expect mobile-first design to persist in prioritising user experience, ensuring seamless navigation across all devices.
• Innovative Technologies~Advancements in technology will fuel mobile-first design, incorporating emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Voice User Interface (VUI) into its framework.
• Heightened Engagement~With mobile conversion rates surpassing desktops by 64%, mobile-first design will foster increased user engagement, amplifying interaction with digital content.
• Enhanced Customer Retention~Nearly 66% of enterprises adopt a mobile-first approach, enhancing customer retention and loyalty, thereby becoming a cornerstone strategy for businesses.
• Expansive Reach~With an estimated global count of 7 billion smartphone users, the significance of mobile-first design will continue to expand, ensuring broader accessibility and connectivity.

These trends underscore the enduring prominence of mobile-first design in web development, reshaping the digital landscape and revolutionising how businesses engage with their online audience.

The percentage of mobile usage for searches has steadily increased over the last ten years and isn’t going to stop. So a mobile responsive approach is the most sensible trend to follow. If you have any questions about your current website and it’s mobility or if you are wanting a new responsive website, feel free to contact us.