Back then, website design was much simpler because the internet was only accessible through desktop and laptops with standard dimensions. However, as technology evolved, business owners need to stay updated and have their developers design a more fluid and interactive website because most of today’s phones, laptops, and tablets come with full connectivity options for surfing the web. That being said, consumers now can access the internet – and any website – while on the go.
Since that is the case, your website should not just be regularly updated, but stays current and fluid. In order for your business presence to be appreciated across different devices, your website needs to be mobile-responsive.
Mobile internet is becoming a way of life
Accessing the internet on mobile is becoming a way of life for most people. In the United States alone, the number of smartphone users has ballooned. According to statistics, 68 percent of U.S. adults own a smartphone, while 45% of the population has a tablet. Meanwhile, in age brackets, most people who are always on the go always have a smartphone in their pockets, at least 86 percent for ages 18-29, while 83 percent of those in the 30-49 also own a smartphone.
This means that in order for your business to target as wide an audience as possible, it is necessary to make your website a mobile-responsive one.
Mobile-responsive = good online presence
What is a mobile-responsive website? This means that your website is mobile-friendly and able to automatically adapt to any hardware or device. For example, in previous years, website developers only need to build webpages on standard dimensions, since most desktops and laptops have regular display sizes. However, since today’s crowd can surf the internet using their mobile devices, this means that your business website should automatically scale to fit other screens like those of smartphones and tablets.
Aside from scaling, a mobile-friendly website also tones down on some of the content to suit small-screened devices, keeping in mind that directly scaling down the pages will only result in users trying to scroll incessantly when browsing the website.
In addition, most search engines take into account how responsive a website is, be it viewed on desktops or mobile devices. Google has already made changes to its algorithm, such that business webpages without mobile-friendly versions are being pushed further down into the search engine result page. This means that in order for the website to maintain a lead and “first-page” presence in searches, a mobile-responsive design is imperative and should be prioritized.
Consistency is key
Both the desktop and mobile versions of the website should offer the same access to your clients. However, the design for the mobile version should be different from the desktop one; some would say that it needs to have a minimalistic theme as much as possible. Everything should be within reach with just a few clicks, since web surfers tend to close down browsers and websites if they either take too long to load, or if they have to scroll through numerous pages just to find the information they need.
However, even with minimal pages, tabs, or buttons, the mobile version of your business website should serve the same complete information, and offer the same user experience, as your proper, desktop website.
Make your website mobile-friendly
There are crucial factors and elements that you can take into consideration when thinking of a mobile-responsive website. While these components seem practical, you still need the services of website professionals to help you tread through these essentials and give your business a positive online presence.
- Content should be precise yet concise. Gone are the days when webpages are made only made-up of long-form content. Short but impressive descriptions will work for the on-the-go crowds, but long reads can still work on mobile if it’s laid out in an appropriate format.
- Go for a clean and minimal look. One feature that website professionals can help you with is the overall design and layout of your website. Content should be responsive and can be opened as quick as possible, without navigating too deep into the web pages.
- Use images. The right layout and combination of words and images deliver an impact for a mobile-friendly website. Images themselves contain the main content of your pages.
- Check for auto-scaling. Sometimes, website developers just tend to convert the website to a “mobile-responsive” one by scaling the dimensions of the pages to fit smaller screens. However, since most desktop monitors are too wide for manual scaling, some details on the mobile version become lost. Professional website developers, however, will advise you – and test for themselves – auto scaling your website, so that your web pages load in their entirety whether it be viewed on large-screen desktop monitors or smaller displays like smartphones and tablets.
- Make use of true analytics. Although there are third-party analytics that can give you feedback on your websites, most website developers and Internet specialist have their own suite of analytics tools that will dig deeper into your website, and provide you with real-time and comprehensive data. Such information will then give you complete overview of your business, which is essential in marketing and business planning.
- Test your mobile website regularly. One key advantage of getting skilled, professional services in website development and Internet marketing is that they can regularly check and monitor your website. Part of their services is to test your website on schedules, and after changes and updates on the content. They can then readily provide you with feedback on the best ways to improve client engagement. Established professionals, meanwhile, provide you with a complete suite of services in both website development and Internet marketing to make sure that your website is truly a mobile-responsive one and will provide a good online presence for your business.