What is a responsive website?
A responsive website is a website that has the ability to know the size of the screen the end user is using to view your website, which then allows the website to provide the “best fit” for the end user’s viewing pleasure. A Responsive website is one that will adapt it’s content to best suit the end user on any size device they are using. The end user can be on a cell phone, tablet, or desktop computer and the website will only display the content that is relevant for each screen size being used. It’s all about making the website viewing experience the best user experience for whoever is viewing your content
Why do I need a responsive website?
Since March of 2018 Google has been announcing that they are moving to a “mobile first” indexing approach for websites. Historically Google has been using your website’s “Desktop version” to index relevant content for end users who use their search engine, BUT NOW in 2018 and until further notice, they are making the official move to mobile first indexing for the sites that have a mobile website design available for people using Google search on mobile devices.
What if I’ve never had a website before?
If you’ve never had a website before you simply need to make sure that the website designer you choose will create a responsive website design for you and NOT a basic website. Starting a new website without asking for it to be a responsive one will set you back and make your content hard to “find” online. When it comes to indexing your website on Google a responsive website will allow for the most exposure of your business online.
What does indexing in Google mean?
Google will individually review each of the pages on your website and then decide if they are going to “add” it to their search engine results for their end users to “find”. When a page is deemed to be using their prescribed Best Practices each individual page on your website will be “saved” (Indexed) by Google and only then is your content a searchable page for everyone to find.
What if I already have a mobile website?
If you’re wondering if you need to dump your mobile website and get a new responsive website design, the short answer is no. However, since google has officially moved towards a mobile first indexing approach for the rapidly growing mobile phone user accessing Google Search on their mobile device, the answer may be YES because you don’t want to be left standing behind your internet competition due to advancements in responsive website design.
A responsive website not only allows Google to serve up your information to the vast majority on mobile phones (and different size screens), but it also helps to increase your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts dramatically by eliminating the need to make changes in two different places (once on your mobile website and then again on your desktop website). A responsive website will allow for better content continuity.
What is the advantage of a responsive vs. mobile website?
In short, a responsive website will save you time and hassle, and it will be noticeable when it comes to the amount of effort you or your website developer are putting in when you need to update basic information from a mobile website to a desktop version. When you want to ensure it’s the same update across both of your websites. When you have a separate mobile website from your desktop website, you’ll have to make the change two times.
Dumping that scenario for a responsive website means you can make a change on the mobile version, and that change will easily be updated to any viewing size without entering multiple separate instances of your website for one basic update.
Do I really need to switch to a responsive website?
You only want to make the switch to a responsive website if you want to maintain a competitive advantage against your competition on the internet. This is no joke especially since Google officially announced their mobile first indexing approach on March 29, 2018.
Conclusion, on the subject of responsive website design.
If you’ve never had a website before or if you’ve noticed a decrease in your existing website traffic, then you must consider a responsive website design for the future of your business online.
A responsive website will allow you to be found by the highest percentage of end users -the mobile phone internet user, and the future of internet browsing and beyond.
Thank you Google for making the most relevant content the best user experience it can be on mobile. And to you the reader, thank you for reading all this information and allowing me to help you understand why a responsive website is the best thing you can do online for the future of your business.