When the experts say we’re living in a mobile age, they mean it. In fact, four out of five consumers use their smartphones for online shopping needs. So then it’s no secret that having a mobile-friendly website design is key to your success.

But how can you make that mobile website work to increase traffic and conversions? The answer is mobile responsiveness. If you’re not sure what that is or how it can help you, keep reading. Here’s a short guide to everything mobile responsiveness may be able to do for you.

What is mobile responsiveness?
First, let’s start with responsive design. A responsive website is one that has been created in such a way that content, images, and formatting remain the same no matter what platform the site is accessed on. For example, a responsive site would look the same on a desktop computer and a mobile device. Mobile responsiveness is particularly important for website design services to take into account, as many people are using mobile devices to access sites they previously would have only viewed on a computer screen.

What does Google say?
Google claimed a 67% search market share in 2013 alone, effectively making it the most popular search engine in the world. Needless to say, Google’s opinion matters on all things Internet. And in June 2012, Pierre Farr even claimed that Google prefers responsive web design for mobile devices. This is for the most part because when a website is responsive, there is only one URL across multiple devices. Without mobile responsiveness, Google has to do that much more work per website showcased in the search results.

How can responsive design increase conversion rates?
When a website doesn’t work on a mobile device or a tablet, people are less likely to stay there and use the services offered. When a user has to do more work to find what they’re looking for, a conversion is far less likely. Fortunately, that digital marketing issue can be easily solved with responsive web design. Less work for potential customers means more customers in the long run.

In an age of instant gratification, your website needs to be able to provide quick results on any number of mediums. Don’t forget to cross responsive design off of your website design checklist.