Do I Need a Mobile Website?

Do I need a mobile website? Yes, yes, yes, and for those who turned around for a moment--yes!

First let's get some terminology sorted out because the electronic world usually moves faster than the real world. Or, at least faster than the time it takes you to incorporate a new term into your vocabulary. Let's start with the word "mobile." Initially it was directed towards phones. This of course was during the times when there was either a laptop, a desktop, or your phone. So, that meant there were essentially 2 (-ish) sizes of screen size to deal with. Jump forward to today where you still have a desktop, but from there, anything is possible with screen size. Smart phones in various sizes, tablets in maybe even more sizes, laptops that are true old fashioned laptops, lap tops that yearn to be a tablet, and so on. And that's just today--what will come along tomorrow?

So what does that mean? Well, you first had a nice website for your business, then you spent a bunch of money to have it "available" on a mobile device (the old fashioned kind), but now it is tired looking, mainly because it is limited to two different views. Two different views means two different aspect ratios, two different menu lay outs, two different a lot of things. You are frustrated that you have to dump money into another "version" of your site now, and possibly again in the future, just so that it keeps looking correctly on one of the many devices its being viewed on.

Good news, that doesn't have to be the case. This is where something called a Responsive Website comes into play. A responsive website is essentially just what it sounds to be--a website that dynamically adjusts its size, layout, features, menus and so on, based on the device it is being viewed on. It looks like it's alive!

Don't ever lose site of your main goal with webdesign--make it user-friendly. If something is a pain to use, your audience will go next door to the site that is easy to use, period. (Unless of course you have the one and only product or service in the world that can only be gotten from you.) Not you? Keep reading.

There is another benefit to a responsive site--Google really digs them! Not only does Google recommend your site be responsive, but it favors them when presenting search results on a mobile platform. See how I said "platform"? That's because we are no longer in the era of only two different types of devices. Look around, count the number of people mesmerized by their tablets or smartphones the next time you are at your favorite coffee house, restaurant, on the train--everywhere! This is who you must cater to. Another reason is that it will reduce your bounce rate over a non-responsive site. If everyone pulling up your site on their mobile devise is annoyed at its appeal, they will quickly move on, that's a bounce. You are reducing that by keeping them around because they like where they have landed, and a high bounce rate with Google will lead to a drop in rankings.

So change that old site to one that will last much longer, will be easier for more people to use, and in the end, will drive more traffic to your door.

Do I Need a Mobile Website?

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