Amazon’s grand entrance into the mobile marketplace is a wakeup call for business owners in virtually every industry. While you’re probably focused on whether or not Amazon will be able to compete with iPhone or Android devices, the reality is you’re focused on the wrong subject. Business owners like you should be wondering: is my website fully optimized for the growing influx of mobile users? As the mobile marketplace continues to grow, it’s vital that your online presence is optimized to attract a mobile audience.
The Value of Responsive Design
If you don’t currently have a responsive website design and don’t have plans for one in the near future, you may want to reconsider. We have become a society of multi-screen users, meaning we seamlessly move between smartphones, tablets, laptops, and televisions. While the convenience of these screens is appreciated by consumers, are you taking advantage of these flexible options?
Listen to the People
According to Google’s research, 75% of consumers want the sites they visit to be mobile-friendly, while 67% say they are more likely to purchase a product if it is. Nearly half of all those surveyed said they are less likely to visit a site if it isn’t mobile-friendly. Do you see the issues here? People want responsive sites that allow them to enjoy your website anywhere.
Advantages of Responsive Sites
If you are able to develop an effective responsive website design, you may experience some of the following benefits:
Google Will Love You. Oh, how we would all love for Google to say those three little words to us: “I love you.” Well, go responsive and you may just hear it. Google not only prefers responsive designs, but they also favor mobile-optimized sites when presenting search results on mobile devices. Google does this by listing your site on Google Mobile Search.
Consolidate Reporting. A responsive site means you no longer have to track analytics for multiple sites and pages. Google Analytics (and other analytics tools) is now prepared to handle responsive reporting. This means you can spend less time analyzing and more time optimizing.
Save Resources. Believe it or not, a responsive web design is actually cheaper and less time consuming than developing a stand-alone mobile site. So, not only are you appealing to the search engines, you are also saving valuable time and money.
One, Single URL. From an SEO point of view, one of the primary challenges posed by having a separate mobile site is the need to build authority from scratch. With a responsive design, you are able to maintain your backlinks, keep your authority, and focus your SEO efforts on a single URL.
So, are you a believer in responsive web design? While it may seem like a foreign concept, it’s here to stay. In fact, responsive web design will become the primary form of web design in the coming months and years. Are you prepared?
Contact us today for a free consultation with a digital marketing expert and website strategist. We would be happy to explain more of the benefits and advantages of responsive web design.