The Importance of a Responsive Web Design

Recently we finished a branding process and a responsive website design for a Los Cabos makeup and hair company, Alma Vallejo.  Their old brand identity and website didn’t fit their image and needs anymore, so we worked with them to create a new visual identity and website, which would have stress on imagery, show their latest work, and be responsive to any device the users are accessing the website from.

Mobile internet usage has been skyrocketing over the last few years. According to a Morgan Stanley report, mobile internet usage has surpassed desktop usage in 2014, and it’s only continuing to grow (see the chart here).  Even with this compelling evidence, the vast majority of business websites are still not mobile-friendly.  This is not only causing a headache for users, but also a loss in business opportunity.

These stats on mobile internet use from Smart Insights show why we need a mobile website.

• Over 20% of Google searches are performed on a mobile device.
• In 2012, more than half of local searches were performed on a mobile device.
• In the United States, 25% of internet users only access the internet on a mobile device.
• 61% of people have a better opinion of brands when they offer a good mobile experience.
• 25.85% of all emails are opened on mobile phones, and 10.16% are opened on tablets.

According to Google’s Think Insights on mobile, if a user lands on your mobile website and is frustrated or doesn’t see what they are looking for, there’s a 61% chance they will leave immediately and go to another website (most likely a competitor).  It’s also said that if they have a positive experience with your mobile website, a user is 67% more likely to buy a product or use a service.

Responsive web design isn’t a trend any more, it’s a must. Being able to offer consumers a beautiful optimized experience regardless of their choice of device means you’ll have expanded the reach of your service and the chances you have of engaging with individuals. The long lasting nature of this approach is incredibly valuable and the cost effectiveness is a clear advantage. – Tahmid Hossain

7 Reasons You Need a Responsive Web Design:

• Mobile Internet Use is Exploding.  We use internet more on mobile than on desktop (plus see all the facts and stats above).

• Responsive web design adapts to current and future devices.  One of the big benefits of responsive design is that the size of the template is designed based on screen size, not device. This means that no matter what size screen someone is viewing your website, it will display properly for that screen size.

• Better, faster, smarter user experience.  Optimizing your site no matter what the user chooses to view it on makes their life easier.  Happier customers means a happier business.

• Cost Effective.  Responsive sites take a little longer to put together, but they survive longer and the unified approach means management, support and upgrades only need be applied to one place.  That saves time and money.

• Responsive design is optimised for SEO.  Managing SEO for separate mobile and desktop sites is hard and doesn’t produce great results.  Google actually recommends a responsive approach to combat these problems and a consolidated view of your results means more focus.

• Improve conversion rates.  An optimised and consistent site, no matter what platform it’s viewed on, provides a better experience for the user which is more likely to lead to them engaging with you than going elsewhere.

• Blogging and social activities bring mobile visitors.  If you’re like most inbound marketers and have elements of blogging and social media incorporated in your strategy, you probably have been seeing increased mobile traffic.  A recent study by ComScore cites that 55% of social media consumption happens on a mobile device.  With that being said, if you’re sharing out content links or links to your website and don’t have a mobile-friendly website, you’re not only going to experience high bounce rates and low conversion rates, but also a frustrated audience.

Sources: Hubspot, Webstars*, Tahmid Hossain

Images made with PlaceIt application, brand identity and website design of Alma Vallejo by La76 Strategic Design.