What is responsive design, and why does my WordPress website need it?
If you don’t know the answer to that question, today’s post is for you. Back in 2014, mobile officially surpassed desktop as the most popular web browsing device. That means, chances are, a large percentage of your website visitors are using their smartphone.
In the past, you would only have to worry about desktop web design – or, how it looks when you’re on a PC. But now, you also need to consider how it looks on mobile devices.
Building separate desktop and mobile websites isn’t feasible for most business owners. It requires more resources and can become a bit of a nightmare.
And that’s where responsive web design comes into play.
What Is Responsive Design?
Responsive design can seem a bit intimidating. But it’s not, trust me. Really, it just means selecting a WordPress theme that can make content look good on any device.
Practically speaking, it means businesses owners don’t need to stress out about if their website will run effectively on mobile. Although it takes a bit of work (you’ll need to consider how the website responds on each device), performance overall is guaranteed.
Responsive design may sound like a complicated term. But it’s not, trust me. All it means is that a website has been designed so all of its content looks good on any device.
In practical terms, this means that businesses don’t need to stress over whether their website will run efficiently on a mobile device. Performance is guaranteed.
Additionally, businesses can stop worrying about having a mobile website and a desktop website that work differently for different devices. The website is designed so content fits on every screen – even mobile devices.
Naturally, in today’s mobile landscape, responsive design is the future of website design for maximized marketing success.
Investing in Responsive Design Is Much Cheaper Than Having Two Websites
What is responsive design? Well, perhaps most attractively, it’s a cheaper alternative to other options. When considering web design, you’ve got to consider development costs and ongoing maintenance costs simultaneously.
Updating and maintaining two websites is quite costly. It’ll take more cash to setup the two sites (instead of just one). And the maintenance of two websites sucks away valuable time.
If you want to see real results online, you’ve got to think in terms of efficiency.
And it’s clear that building two separate websites inherently lacks that.
Ignoring responsive design costs more in the near-term and long-term. That means an investment in responsive design pays off immediately. And it keeps paying off in the years to come as well.
You don’t have time to waste on inefficient marketing strategies.
Building a mobile and desktop version of a website is practically a textbook example of operational inefficiency. Savvy entrepreneurs would do well to avoid this outdated approach to marketing.
Responsive Designs Enhance the User Experience
Responsive designs that are well-built will look incredible. And they provide a considerably better user experience too.
So what?
Whoa there, my friend. Not so fast.
Mobile audiences are the way of the future. And providing enjoyable user experiences for this demographic is key for the future of successful marketing.
A simple look at the smartphone numbers is all anyone needs as proof.
By next year, there will be over two billion smartphones globally. Two years after that, estimates suggest over half of the world will have a smartphone.
Simply put, a demographic that large is not a demographic any business should ignore. Unless, of course, you’re not serious about seeing marketing results.
Responsive design bolsters the user experience on mobile devices by ensuring they don’t have to shrink, zoom and fiddle with the web pages. This reduces user frustration, and makes site navigation a breeze.
Happier users will improve a marketing campaign’s conversion rates –meaning everybody wins with responsive design.
Google Cares About Responsive Design and So Should You
When it comes to answering, What is responsive design? we must look to Google. This type of design isn’t a fresh, revolutionary idea. In fact, many early adopters have been using these types of websites with great success for years.
But now it’s no longer a luxury design perk. It’s a requirement.
Google now prefers mobile-friendly websites and prioritizes them for its search algorithms.
(Yes, that means your mobile-unfriendly design will hurt those rankings you’ve strived so desperately to attain.)
It’s such a catastrophic change for those lacking this design that many marketer say this change as a signal for Mobilegeddon.
Conclusion
A truly successful website requires embracing the future of mobile.
It’s clear that responsive websites make the transition easier. With new devices constantly changing screen size, building a website that will format to all is the clear winner.
You don’t want to get left behind because it will only become harder to catch up. I’ve answered the question, What is responsive design? Now it’s time for you to embrace the change!
