A website that is responsive is different from one that is “mobile-friendly.” By now most people understand the importance of being mobile-friendly. It’s a website that is designed to function on a phone or tablet. But only making your site function on devices may not be enough. A computer screen is a different shape, size and aspect ratio than your average phone or tablet. Create a mobile-friendly website that provides a great user experience on every single type of screen is almost impossible. That’s why making the switch to responsive website design is necessary.
No one should have to zoom in and out numerous times to get through a website on their phone. That’s so annoying.
Customers want a seamless experience when using their phone.
If they don’t get it, they get out fast. As SWEOR points out, “nearly 8 in 10 customers would stop engaging with content that doesn’t display well on their device.”
Why Making the Switch to Responsive Website Design is Important
Mobile traffic has outpaced the usage share of desktop traffic. It’s been that way for the last few years. People are using their phones more and more. The projection is that mobile devices will reach 79% of global internet use by the end of 2018.
A responsive site provides an optimal viewing experience for your visitor. The layout, navigation and functionality are tailored to the mobile device experience.
Even the content has to adjust to this environment. There are few users that will sit and read paragraphs of text on their phone. What you can provide on a desktop view varies greatly from what you should provide someone using their phone. You have optimal space on a desktop. The real estate is much more limited on a mobile devices. That collage of images might look great on your desktop screen. However, it might prove frustrating scroll pass all those images on a phone. Plus the load time can slow down the loading speed of the website way too much.
If your site was designed to be mobile-friendly, it’s probably not giving visitors what they need. A responsive website gives a visitor a fluid screen experience, no matter what device they are using. Website elements behave and appear differently depending on what they are viewed with. It’s one design that adapts to every screen.
Websites should be designed with the mobile user in mind
In conclusion, responsive design is superior to mobile-friendly. Keep in mind that not all responsive websites are created equal. Websites that are designed with the mobile user in mind will outlast others in an ever-changing landscape.