In the world of web design and web development, it’s hard to keep up with the endless new devices, toys, and tools. And that’s for us – experts in the field.
So when it comes to your website, what does this growing list of these web-accessible devices mean and what are your options? Need you simply suffer the consequences of losing visitors from one device, for the benefit of gaining visitors from another?
Respond with responsive
Responsive web design is a way to design a website that allows the site to respond to the user’s behavior and environment based on screen size, platform and orientation. (A few months back, Silas used this forum to talk about the different types of responsive .)
The fact is that responsive web design costs more… at first. Sure, for now, it might be easier to ignore the multitude of web-enabled devices accessing the web. However, once the foundation is set, the ongoing maintenance costs decrease over time. It’s much better to account for today’s plethora of devices and acknowledge the unpredictability of the future.
Recently, we launched a website for CUBE InC based on responsive web design. You can see how the site looks on different types of devices, and how together, it accounts for a positive user experience.
Here’s some pretty solid evidence –from a variety of sources – that mobile is here to stay:
- 4 out of 5 consumers use smartphones to shop. (comScore, 2012)
- 34% have made a purchase using their mobile phone compared to 19 percent in 2011. (DC Financial Insights, 2012)
- The effect of smartphones on in-store sales of retail purchases will increase to $689 billion (or 19% of total store sales) by 2016. (Deloitte, 2012)
- 57% of consumers will not recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site. Similarly, 40% of consumers will go to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile experience. (Compuware, 2012)
Think for a moment how you accessed the internet five years ago. Now imagine all the internet-ready possibilities that await in the next five years. If your website isn’t ahead of the curve in 2012, what do you think will happen by 2017?
Truth is, none of us really know exactly where the internet will take us or the tools it will use to get us there. However, it stands to reason that for now, at the very least, your website should have mobile consideration
Does creating a better mobile experience REALLY matter?
Yes, yes and yes.
Better experiences mean more conversions, more engagement and a better chance the user will walk away with a positive feeling about your brand, service or product.
In terms of creating the best experiences possible, Responsive Web design is best for the user. It creates a great custom experience for everyone. As Web designers, we strive for that every day on every project anyway.
