This article was originally published on the Spectrum blog.
Mary Meeker, the head of Morgan Stanley’s Global Technology Research Team, took the stage at Akamai’s 2010 State of the Internet report and said that within the next five years “more users will connect to the Internet over mobile devices than desktop PCs.”
Well, whaddya know? 2012 is almost over, and with it, so are the days of desktop-dominated Internet usage. As Meeker – who was once dubbed the “Queen of the Net” by Barron’s magazine– predicted, people have adopted mobile devices as their primary means for accessing the web. We no longer want or need to be pigeonholed to anything that requires more than one finger to effectively use. Therefore, to stay relevant on the internet as a website owner, you must optimize your website for mobile usage. To do so, you must make your website responsive.
What Is Responsive Website Design?
Responsive Website Design, or RWD, allows your website to adapt to the resolution and size of the device it is being viewed on. So, whether your site is coming up on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, iPhone or Android device, the content will remain easily accessible and readable and the user experience will stay constant. If your company is capable of lead generation or direct sales via your website, you’re probably already losing valuable business without Responsive Design.
Why Responsive Design? Here are 5 GOOD Reasons:
1. Saves You Time
Responsive Design is a smart alternative to creating two separate sites for mobile and desktop use. With one responsive site, you’ll only have one website to update and focus on – not to mention you’ll only have one URL.
2. Saves You Money
The more sites you build the more money you’ll ultimately have to spend on their design and upkeep. Responsive focuses all your finances (and energy) in one place.
3. Reaches EVERYONE
By mid-2013, more than half of all Internet users will be browsing the web on their phones or tablets. If your site isn’t responsive, consumers may come to your site looking to buy or request a quote, only to leave in frustration. Don’t cut yourself off from 50% of the market – reach everyone!
4. Search Engine Optimization
If you opt to build a separate mobile site for your business rather than making your original site responsive, your search engine traffic would be divided. With RWD, you won’t have to build your new site’s search engine presence and your visitors won’t have to deal with redirects and extensive load times.
5. No Duplicate Content!
In the world of search engines, websites with the most original content have the highest rankings. If you had two sites with duplicate content rather than one responsive website, you would be penalized by Google, Yahoo! and Bing and your rankings would be negatively affected.