Responsive design is the web designer’s latest tool to create a website that can dynamically change its layout, navigation, and content based on the user’s display. For the website owner it means not having to maintain different websites for desktop, tablets, and smartphones. For the user it means a smooth and pleasant experience no matter what device is used to access the site.

Do people really surf the web on their smartphone?

“Never leave home without it” – that’s the way most smartphone users think about their device.

• According to Google, in the United States, 78 percent of internet users access the web from their smartphone;
• A study conducted by Morgan Stanley found that 91 percent of people with smartphones have their phone within reach 24 hours, 7 days a week;
• A Google study found that 9 out of 10 smartphone searches result in an action (a purchase, going to the business location, etc.).

What does it mean for your business?

Up until a short while ago web surfers were satisfied with an user-friendly website they accessed from their desktop or laptop computer, but that’s no longer the case. Now visitors expect a well functioning site that also looks good across a variety of devices. If they’re viewing your business website from a tablet or smartphone they want to experience the same ease of use just as if they’re browsing on their desktop computer.

Your business could lose sales if your site is not mobile-friendly.

72 percent of consumers expect brands to have a mobile-friendy website, according to a Google study entitled “What Users Want Most From Mobile Sites.” 52 percent of the study participants said a bad mobile experience made them less likely to contact the business. 48 percent said that if a site didn’t work well on their smartphones they felt the company didn’t care about doing business with them.

Too many sites do nothing, serving mobile visitors full-size web pages meant for desktop browsers. Treating mobile users as second-class web citizens is an insult, not to mention shortsighted and foolish, considering the explosive growth in mobile browsing. – Michael Calore, Editor, Wired Magazine | www.wired.com

What can you do?

Factor a website redesign into your marketing budget, you really can’t afford not to.

Call us at 860-521-6567 if you have questions about responsive web design or if you’re ready to make the move to a responsive website.