In 2020, it’s not merely enough to have a website. You also need to make sure that your website provides a consistent and positive experience for all visitors. In the past, you only needed to worry about how your site would look on a desktop computer. But now, with so many digital devices able to access the internet, you’ll need to look beyond the PC.

That’s really what responsive web design is all about. When you prioritize mobile responsiveness in the design of your site, you’ll make certain that you’re providing the same information — and presenting it in essentially the same way (or a more effective way) — to anyone who visits your site, regardless of the device they’re using to view it. Let’s talk about why responsive web design is so important and share some clues that might indicate a lack of responsive design.

Why Does Responsive Web Design Matter?

There are a couple of different reasons to prioritize responsive web design. One is that consumers expect it — and they have no qualms about taking their business elsewhere if your site doesn’t accommodate them. In fact, 48% of users say that if they go to a site that isn’t working well on mobile, they take that to mean the business simply doesn’t care. As a result, they’ll go find another business that does seem to care enough to cater to users on a variety of mobile devices.

Consumers aren’t the only ones who take notice when websites aren’t designed responsively. Google also prioritizes responsive web design, which means that sites that aren’t responsive may have a tough time improving their search rankings. Google understands the importance of mobile traffic, as it accounts for nearly half of all web traffic. If web users can’t view a site properly on mobile, that site might not appear as prominently in SERPs — that could have huge effects on your business.

Signs Your Website Might Not Be Responsive

Now that you understand the importance of responsive web design, you’ll want to take a closer look at your site to assess whether it provides the best possible experience. If any of these signs sound familiar, you should consider hiring a firm that offers web design services to rectify the issue.

1. Browser Size Has No Effect: There’s a quick trick you can do to discern whether your site might be mobile responsive. Pull your site up in a browser on your desktop or laptop and then grab the right side of the window with your mouse to change the size. Do your photos, text, and other elements automatically adjust as the size of the browser changes? Or do they get cut off? If it’s the latter, your site probably isn’t responsive; if it was responsive, the site design would automatically detect the size of the browser window and adjust accordingly.
2. Design Elements Are Too Small: Now, try pulling your site up on your smartphone. Is the text easy to read? What about your navigation menu and buttons? If these elements are too small to be legible or clickable, you’re probably dealing with an unresponsive website. While most sites can be manually adjusted with a finger pinch, that’s an extra step that you won’t want visitors to have to take.
3. High Bounce Rate, Slow Site Speed: Sites that aren’t responsive are typically frustrating to mobile viewers. As a result, they’re likely to quickly hit the “back” button to find a result that will serve their needs. When that happens, your site’s bounce rate may increase — and that can suggest to Google your site isn’t valuable. A lack of responsive design can also cause slow loading speeds. Responsive sites deliver content to users in fewer steps, but non-responsive sites can take a lot longer. If you’ve seen an increase in your bounce rate or notice your site is slow to load on mobile, talk to a web designer to figure out why.

If your site doesn’t feature responsive design, you should take action to avoid leaving money on the table. Contact us today for more information.