Top 10 Reasons to Use Responsive Web Design and More

What is Responsive Web Design?

Responsive web design refers to a modern approach owing to which it is possible to view websites equally well on different types of devices, where elements of a website automatically adapt based on any given screen size, be it a desktop, a laptop, a smartphone, or a television.

Responsive web design concepts rely on the use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), where different settings cater to specific style properties based on factors such as orientation, screen size, and resolution.

Separating your content into multiple columns for desktop viewing is fine because the width of the screen is adequate. However, doing the same on a mobile phone’s screen may present challenges to users. Responsive web design gives you the ability to lay your content out in a specific manner based on the device a viewer might use, which makes way for improved user experience.

Top 10 Responsive Website Benefits

Web designers who stay on top of the learning curve understand the importance of responsive web design.  They realize that a significant percentage of the population uses mobile devices to get online, and not having a responsive website typically means losing out on one’s share of the pie. If you’re thinking about getting a new website or revamping your existing one, you may benefit by turning to responsive designing in different ways.

1. You Reach Mobile Users

The number of people accessing the internet using mobile devices has increased significantly in recent years. Data released by Statista shows that while only 35% of the adult population in the U.S. owned smartphones in 2011, the number increased to 85% by February 2021. Now, the people using smartphones are more than those who use desktops or laptops.

Modern-day digital marketing requires addressing the needs of customers who find your business through mobile phones and tablets. It does not make sense to have two websites, one for mobile devices and another for desktops. Responsive web design ensures that you give mobile users the same great experience that desktop users enjoy.

2. Web Maintenance Becomes Easier

With responsive web design, you reduce the maintenance burden that you might be dealing with otherwise. Without responsive design, you typically need to maintain different mobile websites and a desktop version. One of the key benefits of responsive web design is that you get to handle everything related to your website from one platform. This not only makes things easier but also reduces maintenance costs. These websites are usually simple to maintain and operate, which means you won’t spend sleepless nights trying to understand the process.

3. Cost-Effectiveness

Responsive web design and development costs are often a concern for businesses looking to get new websites, and this is also the case with those who wish to redesign existing ones. Website owners who have already turned to responsive designs say that the initial cost might be high but the maintenance is a walk in the park. These sites save you from the hassle of operating different websites and the maintenance cost is considerably low.

4. Search Engine Preferences

Of the top 10 reasons to use responsive web design, this one is among the most important, because no matter what you do, your website will go through search engines. People use these engines to find what they need. To be on the good side of search engines, it is important that you meet their requirements and preferences. Search engines prefer responsive websites to other older sites. With a responsive website, you will enjoy better ranking and this is the aim of most website owners.

Google favors responsive web design because it simplifies the accurate assignment of indexing properties to different web pages by its algorithms. Besides, responsive web design takes away the need for Googlebot to use multiple user agents to retrieve content from different versions of a single website.  According to Google, one of the key benefits of responsive web design is that each webpage has just one URL.

5. Easy SEO and Online Marketing

If you run different versions of the same website, you might have a heavy burden to carry. When it comes to marketing, things get trickier and harder. This explains why marketing and SEO companies are encouraging the shift to responsive sites. When everything takes place on the same platform, you do not have to spend a great deal of money, especially if you wish to hire a digital marketing or SEO firm.

6. Improved User Experience

It does not matter whether people access websites using their desktops, laptops, tablets, or mobile phones. What matters is the experience they have. Users are continuously looking for great experiences and there is no better way to offer this than through responsive web design. This design concept ensures that visitors to your website may use any device and have the same great experience they would when using a desktop computer.

7. You Get an Edge Over Your Competitors

Running a successful business is all about keeping up with the competition. You need to be steps ahead to make sure that customers prefer your services. Most businesses have already discovered the wonders of responsive web design. Not jumping on the bandwagon might rob of you some important benefits. As you plan your marketing strategy, it is important to make sure that responsive web design fits in your overall scheme of things.

8. CMS Platform Support

A content management system (CMS) serves as a great tool for internet marketers. CMS platforms such as WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal host millions of websites, and these platforms have made updating and maintaining websites easier. These platforms recognize that mobile phones are an important part of web browsing, which is why they continue aiding responsive web design concepts by adding more enhanced features.

9. Good Return on Investment

While the initial cost of creating a customized responsive website might seem high, the maintenance cost is low and the benefits are many. Going with the saying that, “working smart is taking steps today to save money tomorrow,” developing a responsive website will help you save time and money in the future, and will greatly improve the experience of your visitors. Already, responsive web design concepts have become the norm and it is only reasonable to invest in this technology as quickly as possible.

10. Responsive Web Design Concepts Are Here to Stay

Responsive web design stands tall as the strongest web design concept in the modern world. This concept focuses on today’s internet users and is all about accessibility and user experience. Thanks to responsive designs, users can comfortably access different sites without worrying about the screen size of the device they are using. Given that more and more people use mobile devices to access the internet, it’s safe to say that responsive web design concepts will remain firmly etched in the web design world.

Other Benefits of Responsive Web Design

Moving beyond the top 10 reasons to use responsive web design, here are five more that deserve your attention.

• Faster loading speed. Data collated by HubSpot indicates that page load times have the biggest impact on conversion rates. Simply put, the more time a web page takes to load, the lower its conversion rate. If your website is not responsive in nature, you may expect it to take longer to load on mobile devices. Fortunately, the converse holds true as well. This is because responsive design makes way for faster loading times by using CSS3 instead of images, embedding scalable vector graphics, and splitting content in a suitable manner. Faster loading speed also has a positive impact on search engine rankings.
• Lower bounce rate. Bounce rate denotes how quickly visitors leave your website and serves as a key metric when it comes to whether your website satisfies a user’s search. A high bounce rate indicates that you don’t meet your visitors’ requirements in some form or the other. While your website might offer great content, it may falter on the user experience front when it comes to mobile devices, which can lead to a high bounce rate. Responsive web design addresses this aspect effectively. Besides, it also leads to low bounce rates because of faster loading speeds.
• Easy to share. Data collated by Demand Sage shows that the U.S. is home to 302.35 million social media users, which is around 90% of its total adult population. Where there’s social media, there’s sharing. When you have a responsive website, it makes it easier for mobile users to share its content. For example, it’s possible for a user to share a particular section of a web page through a Twitter post by using a social share button without needing to leave the page. Traffic that comes to your website from social media is typically interested in what you have to offer, which then translates into desirable conversion rates.
• High conversion rates. Good loading speeds and low bounce rates are great, but getting a steady flow of new customers requires that you deliver a great user experience consistently. Visitors who get to your website and find it hard to navigate might not waste any time looking for alternatives. Since responsive websites offer equally good user experiences across all types of devices and screen sizes, visitors engage with them for longer, and this typically results in high conversion rates.
• Analytics reporting is simpler. If you plan to make ongoing improvements to your website, as should ideally be the case, it’s important to know the source of the traffic it attracts and how users interact with your website. If you have more than one version of your website, monitoring, tracking, and analyzing user journeys through multiple funnels and redirects can be a laborious and time-consuming affair. A responsive website simplifies matters considerably, and you may now use different online tools such as Google Analytics, Semrush, or Mixpanel to further streamline the process.

Partnering With a Web Design Agency

If you wish to make the most of what the online world has to offer, getting a completely customized website is the way to go because templates and online web builders no longer make the cut. If you don’t have the required expertise or an in-house web design and development team, partnering with an agency that specializes in this realm might work well for you.

If you wish to seek professional help to design your website, make sure you ask for samples of an agency’s previous work. Then, view the websites on different types of devices to determine if they provide good user experiences. You also need to look for variation in the work you see, because this indicates levels of creativity. Bear in mind that while you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a responsive website, you typically get what you pay for, so it’s best that you don’t try to cut corners.

Conclusion

The top 10 reasons to use responsive web design, along with the additional five, show you why you should be thinking about this new age-web design concept. A larger percentage of internet users now use mobile devices to access websites, and it’s crucial that you cater to them in an effective manner. If your website is not friendly to smaller devices, your business will suffer by losing traffic to your direct competitors. Given that mastering responsive web design concepts takes time and effort, working with a digital agency that specializes in creating responsive websites might be in your best interest.