Our world is changing, no longer are customers viewing your website on just desktop and laptop computers. Smartphones and tablets have changed the playing field. Traditional websites that used to be sufficient are now difficult to use on smaller screens.
Enter Responsive Website Design
The website will optimize its layout to accommodate screen size, platform and orientation. As you change the size of your browser window, you’ll notice columns collapsing into single paragraphs or breaking into multiple columns. Images will reduce in size and grids of thumbnails will adjust themselves to comfortably fill a new screen size - or disappear altogether. This way, businesses can reach their entire multi-device audience through a single website, saving development and maintenance costs compared to native apps or dedicated mobile sites. It is also Google’s preferred method resulting in improved rankings.
You might be thinking that’s great that the website modifies itself to fit my screen size, but why does this matter to me? Definition of Responsive Website Design - Wiki
Let's Imagine This.
It’s a sweltering summer day. While waiting for the bus, Emma is looking for a local ice cream shop on her mobile phone. Out of all the results seven are in the area, and out of the seven shops - two are on her bus route. She clicks on option one from the list of seven. First thing she sees is a tiny logo and a small bar across the top with text scattered everywhere. Zooming in and out, she tries to look for the store hours and gets frustrated immediately with the disorganized page. The website was designed for a desktop computer, and poor Emma had a smartphone that made it very difficult to view the website properly. Exiting the tab, she clicks on ice cream shop option two. Emma finds all the information she needs just as the bus pulls up. Getting off 4 stops later, she arrives at her second choice ice cream shop. Once she purchased her delicious strawberry chocolate chip waffle cone, the clerk asked her if she wanted to join their rewards program that gives her points on every purchase towards free ice cream. Emma loves the ice cream, and plans on coming back - so she accepts.
Now imagine the first ice cream shop is you. You just lost a potential loyal customer for life.
Emma will go on continuing to visit that other ice cream shop not because she didn’t like you or your ice cream - but because that first opportunity to impress Emma with your company and service was missed. And with that, you lost Emma’s loyalty to a competing ice cream shop.
Emma is just another person on the move much like the rest of our culture and your customers.