Does My Business Need a Responsive Website?

We’ve been asked this question often by clients, and the answer is always the same: a big, resounding yes! Though it may seem like a detail, a responsive website for your business can make or break sales.

What is a responsive website?

When you’re viewing a website on a laptop, you have plenty of space to expand the website on your screen. You may notice, though, that sometimes when you pull up that same website on your smartphone or tablet, the text becomes very small. The menus are nearly impossible to see. And you have to keep zooming in and out to navigate the page.

A responsive website fixes this issue by adapting to the size of any screen.

Phone, tablet, phablet, you name it and a responsive website automatically adjust to fit the screen. That means no more zooming in and out, and no more customers leaving your company’s page because of functionality frustration.

And with the ability to connect your phone, tablet, and laptop to a smart TV, you can view web pages directly on your TV. A responsive website recognizes the size change and adapts; without delay, it fills the screen.

If you’re on a laptop and you’re wondering if a website is responsive, resize your window. If the site adapts to the size change (i.e. images and text aren’t cut off), then the site is responsive.

Responsive vs. mobile website

Mobile websites came years ago, before responsive websites entered the digital arena. Though mobile sites may fit your smartphone’s screen (though will not properly fit tablet, TV’s, etc.), there are major drawbacks.

First off, a mobile website is a watered-down version of the original site. Items and functions are removed in order to allow the site to display and operate properly. Secondly, you have to formulate different versions of the site to fit various screen sizes and screen ratios available on the market. For example, you’d need one version for an iPhone, one for a Samsung Galaxy, and yet another for a Blackberry. That’s a heavy cost, and one that’s no longer necessary.

A responsive website is a full version of the original website (full functionality and same content as the regular website). So, for example, if a potential customer wants to fill out a form, it will be there for them in full glory on a responsive website. Photo and video sliders, animations, menus—everything that you’d see on a laptop, you also see on whatever screen that’s displaying the site.

Why do I need a responsive website?

Mobile users don’t just use their smartphones to browse the web (where your business’s website awaits!), they use them while performing other tasks at home. Such as watching television or using their laptops.

This daily multi-screen usage means any smartphone user has interacted with a responsive website with a brand they’ve just seen a commercial for, or been shown an ad online. They may not know what it’s called, but they know the frustration they feel when they interact with a non-responsive website. In fact, chances are they immediately left. Why would they waste their time navigating a site with a horrible user experience when they can just go to the competitor, whose site is inline with the consumer’s expectations of a great user experience?

Another perk of a responsive website is that it works seamlessly with a smartphone’s or tablet’s touchscreen. Intuitive controls for clicking, scrolling, and browsing make touchscreen devices the ultimate tool for quickly and easily browsing the web. With the touch of a button, customers can even call you directly from your website.

An added bonus: when optimized, a responsive website uses less data. Think of it as going green in the digital—and pocketbook—realms.

With full functionality, intuitive smartphone controls, and the ability for customers to call you directly from your website, a responsive website is a must for any modern business.

Sleight Advertising offers in-house creation of responsive websites, giving you a direct line of communication with those working hand-in-hand with your brand. Give us a call today at (402) 334-3530 for a free marketing assessment and a look into what a responsive website can do for your business.