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What is Responsive Design?

Responsive Design is when a website automatically reforms to accommodate virtually every screen size, on any device currently on the market. This might not seem like such a big deal, a few years ago it wasn’t. However the smartphone is ever growing, let alone tablets and notebooks. In this article I am writing to inform how critical it is that your website is responsive. Today, not next year, not in 6 months. Now!

Why it’s Great

1. Double tap and pinch screen no more, for your content has been optimised to be perfectly legible on any screen!

2. Menus & Buttons formatted with touch screens in mind, for a good old easy tap.

3. Creates a single website for all your online interaction.

Why it Matters

4. 66% of mobile users are frustrated with page load times.

A website which hasn’t been optimised for your mobile audience will not only alienate them on arrival, but it has the potential to drastically go overboard on data usage. That doesn’t just mean long load times, your using up more data from mobile users contracts. Double ouch.

5. In a study of 5,388 smartphone and tablet users 48% complained that mobile sites were not optimised for mobile.

When a website hasn’t been optimised for mobile use this often makes the page a lot more difficult and tedious to use. Web traffic is notoriously impatient amongst all markets, don’t give your competitors the option of one-upping you in this department.

6. According to a survey by Google 48% of users said that if a website is not optimised for mobile, it feels like the company does not care about their business.

This is a real stinger. The hard truth is in this age mobile optimisation isn’t just a neat bonus you come across occasionally, it’s expected.

7. 16% of smartphone and tablet users said “if a page loads too slowly, we give up”.

We’ve all been there, waiting for a page to load feels like a waste of time especially if there are other sites offering similar content.

8. 85% of Adults believe a mobile website is as important if not more important than their desktop counterpart.

I imagine children appreciate responsive design too.

The Rise of Mobile internet

9. Mobile users surpass desktop users before the end of 2014.

10. 97 Screen Resolutions in 2010,  232 in 2013.

11. No one screen size has more than 20% of web traffic share.

12. Mobile based searches make up one quarter of all searches.

12. 95% of Mobile users have searched for local information.

Shopping is Mobile

13. 69% of tablet users have made a purchase via their device within the last 30 days.

14. 67% of users are more likely to make a purchase on a mobile friendly site rather than a non-optimised site.

15. 60% of mobile shoppers use their smartphones while in a store, and another 50% while on their way to a store.

16. 30% of mobile shoppers abandon a transaction due to lack of mobile optimisation.

I hope that this has helped clarify Responsive design for you. If you would like to learn more about how we can help your business with web design please leave a comment below or call us on 01273 328877.