What’s the Big Deal?
By now, the importance of having a mobile website is pretty familiar, especially given that over 50% of searches take place on mobile devices. But what’s the difference between a mobile site and a responsive one? Maybe you’ve heard the term “responsive” being thrown around but are still left wondering what it’s all about.
Have you ever heard the phrase that “all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares?” Well, this is the same type of scenario – all responsive websites are mobile-optimized, but not all mobile websites are responsive.
To Break It Down:
Mobile websites are built on a separate domain (we use “m.yourdomain.com”) and are built with cell phones specifically in mind. They typically have a different feel from the full desktop version and contain less content or fewer pages than the full website.
Responsive websites are built on your existing domain (www.yourdomain.com) and automatically adapt to the screen size of the device that’s being used. That includes phones, tablets, desktop computers and even individual browser sizes. They are typically able to pull over the content in its entirety and simply optimize it for the screen’s size and orientation.
Websites have come a long way since the dawn of the internet, and with ever-evolving technologies, best practices are always evolving too. Mobile websites swooped in and made great strides forward. Now we’re seeing that responsive websites are bringing even more improvements to both your customers and ultimately to your shop’s business overall.
Here’s Why:
Viewer Friendly Experience
The most immediate and obvious change that a responsive site brings is a facelift that will resonate on several levels. It carries over more content about your shop, website features and your brand image that the full desktop site already displays. This means your customers are going to find all of the information they need, regardless of what device they’re using. It also means that your website will look cohesive across all phones, tablets and computers, giving all of your customers a similar experience across the board. Gone is the need to view the full desktop site to find what need, and no more pinching and zooming!
Stay Modern & Up-to-Date
Your website is a glimpse into what your business is all about. What services do you provide? What’s the background of your shop? Where are you located, and when are you open? All of the pieces of your website come together to form a representation of you, and having a modern website that is user-friendly gives a great impression. Though it’s often subconscious, your customers are getting an easy experience that is custom tailored to them, and that reflects back on your brand and the professionalism of your shop. When they visit your competitor’s website and have a poor experience by comparison, that responsiveness will pay off because they’ll look back to you!
Improved Google Results
Not only is a responsive website benefitting your customers and your brand image, but it’s also improving your site in the eyes of Google! After all, a responsive website design is Google’s recommendation. It allows for quicker load times, an optimized view of your content, and the search algorithms are able to process the site better, ultimately leading to better search rankings. Another little bonus is that you’re providing your customers with a better landing page experience, which can improve the ad quality score of your Google AdWords campaigns. This ultimately improves your click-through-rate (CTR) and decreases your cost-per-click (CPC).
Not sure if your website is responsive?
Try visiting your website on a desktop computer. Click on the edge of the browser window and drag to make it smaller. Does the content move around so that it stays readable on your smaller window? Or does it get cramped and cover up some of the site’s content? If it’s the latter, give us a call, and we can help you out!
Joel Fogleman