In 2013 Having a Mobile Version Of Your Site Is Important

More than 1 billion smartphone users around the world are using their devices and gadgets to access the web, check emails, or checkout the latest deals online. By 2015, survey from ComSource said the number of mobile browsers will reach 1.9 billion, surpassing the number of people who use desktop computers.

Internet browsing will shift from the traditional desktop PCs to the more advanced smartphones and other mobile devices. This early, thousands of business owners have already made the big shift by utilizing the power of responsive web design to further reach their target market.

Can you afford to get left behind?

If you think having a traditional website is good enough for your business, think again! Millions of people who browse the web using their smartphones and gadgets say they prefer to transact with businesses that have mobile websites. If that is not reason enough to switch to mobile website, consider the following:

Responsive Web Design

Mobile websites utilize the power of responsive web design, which means your business website can be accessed using any device – smartphones, iPads, gadgets, etc.  It gives your business the assurance that your customers will be able to check out your products, services, and deals anytime they want using the gadgets they prefer.

• Mobile responsive websites automatically scales the pages and resizes images to fit the screen of the gadget
• Responsive web design ensures that your mobile customers get the details of your products, services, and offerings immediately when they access your website
• Responsive websites gives businesses an assurance that their websites are designed to comply with the requirements of mobile browsing

Customers Prefer Mobile Sites

A recent independent survey by the Center for Mobile Internet Research showed that businesses with mobile websites have reported substantial growth in the number of repeat and loyal customers.  Analysts said mobile browsers prefer to transact with businesses that have responsive mobile websites because they can easily access the sites anywhere, anytime!

• A recent study shows that people who transact online using their desktops are more willing to do the same transactions using their smartphones and gadgets
• Mobile browsers who find products or services on websites that are not responsive are more likely to abandon the websites

Mobile Search Engines Prefer Mobile Sites

Search engines use predictable mobile search algorithm that prioritizes mobile websites when delivering results to queries. That means mobile browsers get only responsive web sites when looking for the best restaurant or the best car rental company in town using their gadgets, having your mobile site search optimized is also an important factor to consider once you have your mobile site. Plus:

• Mobile business websites rank high in mobile search engines
• Responsive websites use different keywords and descriptions for mobile searches
• Mobile websites are mobile search engine-compliant

Mobile Websites Give Businesses the Advantage

The Internet is a competitive world for businesses and, just like the traditional business arena, those who know the secrets to reaching more customers are sure to succeed. The secret is out – businesses with mobile responsive websites have the needed advantage over their competitors.

• The CNBC Financial survey showed that around US$119 billion of the global e-commerce transactions in 2015 will be carried out via mobile phones. Don’t you want to take a bite at the global e-commerce pie?
• Businesses with mobile websites are projected to be more reliable, more professional, and more responsive to the demands of the customers
• Responsive web design is the new norm in website designing but only 4.8% of online businesses have mobile websites. Don’t you want to be among the first in industry?

Mobile Websites Maximize Online Presence

Sure, your traditional website gives your business an online presence it deserves and allows your target customer to reach you using desktop computers. But technology continues to evolve and people are now using their mobile phones and gadgets to browse the net. Are you sure your customers will still be able to reach your website when they are on their mobile phones? How does your website look like when you access it using your gadgets?

Web browsing has changed and will continue to change in the coming years. Your business should be ready to adapt to the ever changing behavior of your customers. For business owners wanting to provide the best experience for their customers (which helps generates leads) getting a mobile website is a smart investment and something every business owner should include in their budget.

Responsive web design

Technology has changed the way users browse the web. Mobile phone owners want to access the net using their phones, gadget users want to browse the web using their devices. Users expectations have changed because technology never stops evolving. Site owners now scramble to make their pages suitable for mobile browsing because 800 million people now use their gadgets to browse the web. As web browsing jumps into mobile phones and gadgets from the traditional desktops, a new norm in designing websites comes to life – Responsive web design.

What is Responsive Web Design?

Responsive web design is the approach that suggests that design and development of websites should respond to the user’s browsing behavior and preferred tools to access the Internet.  Is the user accessing the site using a tablet or a smartphone? What is the screen size and orientation of the gadget? Responsive web design assures web owners that their sites are compatible with multiple devices.

Responsive web design allows a website to adapt itself to multiple screen sizes, making it look good on a smartphone, a tablet, an e-reader, and not just the desktop. Websites designed using the responsive web design method feature the following:

• Flexible Orientation
  The website automatically shrinks or expands to fit the screen, whether it be tilted horizontally or vertically.

• Flexible Imaging
  Website photos and images automatically changes size depending on the screen, platform, or orientation

• Flexible Screen Resolutions
  Website resolution remains of high quality in any device – phone, tablet, etc.

Benefits of Responsive Web Design

Mobile users looking for the best restaurant or the most reliable removal company do not care about how pretty a website looks like. Mobile Internet users, all 800 million of them according to ComSource 2012 survey, want direct information on menus, operating hours, prices, and other essential information. Responsive web design offers the following benefits:

• Saves Money
  Websites are designed using only one code that will be compatible with any platform, system, and device, thus reducing your design and programming cost.

• Saves Time
  Only one design for all devices means you spend a little time with your design team and more on your business. No more flowery front page introductions, lengthy marketing spiels, or boring video presentations.

• Maximizes compatibility
  Majority of the beautiful websites designed for desktops can become ordinary and unappealing when accessed through a mobile device. With responsive web design, websites look great on any device.

• Improves SEO

Search engines use different algorithms in displaying results from queries done using mobile devices. Responsive web design affords websites the chance to be listed on mobile search engine results.

• Better performance
  Mobile browsers are people on the go. They want to access information using their devices as quick as possible. Responsive web design presents an optimal experience for all users regardless of whether they’re using a phone, tablet, computer, or other devices.

• Beats competition
  A recent study showed that mobile users prefer companies and shops with websites that can be accessed using their gadgets and devices. Customer retention and loyalty also increase for businesses that have mobile websites

• Google recommended
  Yes, responsive web design is highly-recommended by Google to webmasters!

Responsive web design makes businesses ready for the future. According to a TechCrunch 2012 Survey, mobile devices will overtake desktop PCs as dominant global internet platform this year and mobile internet users will hit 1.9 billion in 2015. If your site is not ready for the future, you should start to panic by now.

The Future of the Web

Responsive web design is the future of the Internet. It is all about automatically and quickly delivering to your visitors the content they want using the gadgets they prefer. If your website is still not mobile responsive, here are some figures that could make you decide to take that big switch:

• Responsive web design uses CSS3 media queries supported by all mobile browsers – Safari, Opera Mini, Android, Symbian, etc.

• More than 1 billion people around the world now own at least one smartphone.

• According to a Google 2012 Survey, 75% of customers prefer a mobile-friendly website

• The same Google survey showed that 79% of mobile phone owners use their gadgets to visit online shopping sites and 74% actually make a purchase as a result

• Some 61% of customers who visit a mobile-incompatible website are likely to go to a competitor’s site, says the Interactive Advertising Bureau

We hope this article helps to explain a little more about responsive web design and the benefits of responsiveness with mobile devices. Eye Candy Media provides responsive web design and mobile websites for local business owners in Australia.