Why is mobile responsive design so important?

You might not have even heard of it, but if your company website is not “mobile responsive,” it could be harming your business.

What is mobile responsive design?

In simple terms mobile responsive design means making sure your website is designed so that it looks good and is easy to use, no matter whether it is being viewed on a desktop computer, a cell phone or a tablet. It makes sense, when you think about it: the screens we view websites on these days come in all shapes and sizes — it’s not a one-size-fits-all proposition like it used to be before the invention of smartphones. Your website needs to look as good on a PC as it does on an Apple iPhone.

But why is mobile responsive design so important?

People are using mobile devices to shop and research

A Pew Research Center study in October 2015 found 68 percent of Americans own a smartphone, up from 35 percent in 2011. That has changed the way we’re accessing the Internet. In April a ComScore study found that, for the first time, the number of Americans who only access the internet through a mobile device (11.3 percent) was greater than the number of people using only a desktop computer (10.6 percent). While that means 78 percent of us are using both mobile devices and desktop computers, the trend is only going in one direction. According to xAd’s Mobile Path to Purchase 2015, mobile is now the most important tool for consumers researching a purchase. That study found that 35 percent of U.S. shoppers who researched an item on their mobile device expected to buy it inside the hour. It found 44 percent of consumers reported their mobile devices as being the most essential aid to their decision. So your customers are using mobile and shopping mobile.

Your customers want a good user experience

We’ve all done it: searched for a website on our cell phones and closed the page in frustration that the site is designed for a desktop computer screen and too hard to navigate.

According to Google’s Think Insights on Mobile, if people arrive on a mobile website and become frustrated with it, there’s a 61 percent chance they will leave and take their business elsewhere. Close to half of users, 48 percent, told Google that if a site didn’t work on their mobile device they felt the company didn’t care for their business.

If your website isn’t working for your customers, it’s not working for you, either.

Google cares about mobile responsive design

Responding to the fact most Internet searches are performed on mobile, Google has stated categorically that responsive is its “recommended design pattern.” In April 2015, Google began rewarding sites with responsive design with better rankings in its search engine. You want to be high up in Google’s search. It just makes good business sense. So having a highly useable mobile site is important. If you’re building a new site, mobile responsive should be your starting point.

Creating a mobile responsive website is easy

If you don’t have a mobile responsive website, talk to your web developer about your options. You won’t necessarily have to start from scratch. There will obviously be an initial monetary outlay, but this is an investment that will help grow your business. It’s a lot more affordable than you might think and, ultimately, you’re going to get a site that every single potential customer will find easy to use no matter what sized screen they’re looking at.

There are also tire industry website specialists who can help you create a really user-friendly site with all the industry-specific key elements a customer might need, including appointment booking options and tire searches.

Here are some links to tire industry websites using mobile responsive design. Check them out on different devices and see how they work on different screen sizes.

Tagged: website design

Why is mobile responsive design so important?