The Importance of Responsive Website Design

Responsive Web Design defined: The final result of one URL + single content + one code + CSS3 queries all into various multiple devices.

Simply put, your website should look about the same on all mobile devices as well as your desktop computer. Not only will it save you money, but it should boost revenue too. And, since there’s just a single URL, a responsive website can help improve your SEO campaigns.

It’s strongly recommended by Google (Read here on Google’s Developer site) and offers a number of additional benefits that increase the user experience while improving an organization’s bottom line and ROI:

  • Flexible rendering: Responsive design allows for a fluid and optimal viewing experience across all devices, browser sizes, and orientations. No pinching, zooming or panning required.
  • Easy maintenance: One codeset of HTML means cost and time efficiencies when maintaining and making changes to the site.
  • Consistent and streamlined user experience: Users can access your site from anywhere and expect a similar feel, navigation, and experience.
  • Less bounce rate and reduced load speeds: Responsive websites have far lower bounce rates as compared to their non-responsive or non-optimized counterparts because of increased efficient functionality.
  • Easy sharing and linking: One URL makes it easy to link to, and share, your site. It also ensures an optimized experience when those links are then opened.

According to a study conducted by the Aberdeen Group, websites featuring a responsive design were rewarded with a 10.9 percent increase in visitor to buyer conversion rates year-over-year. As for non-responsive websites, there was just a 2.7 percent increase.

Popular eCommerce store O’Neill Clothing provided an example of how responsive design can improve conversion rates. According to research, after their firm switched over to a responsive web design, O’Neill found the following results after a three week period:

For iPhone/iPod:

  • Conversions increased by 65.71%
  • Transactions improved by 112.50%
  • Revenue increased impressively by 101.25%

For Android devices:

  • Conversions increased by 407.32%
  • Transactions jumped up by 333.33%
  • Revenue increased skyrocketed to 591.42%

If you’re still hesitating on whether you need a responsive website for your business, it’s definitely time to make the change and integrate responsive web design into your online marketing toolbox.