Almost two years ago, Moz predicted that responsive websites were going to become the industry standard for website design. With increased smartphone internet searches and increased tablet use, it was no reach to make this claim. It used to be enough to just have a mobile version and a desktop version of your website, but now the various screen sizes that exist across all platforms have rendered this method inefficient.
There are 3 major reasons why responsive websites have become an industry norm. From a technical standpoint and from a user perspective, responsive websites are truly the standard for website design today.
1) Increases Usability and User Experience
Though this may seem like an arbitrary benefit, Google considers how user-friendly a website is within its ranking algorithm. A desktop version may have many utilities, loads of content, and great photos; this is perfect for stationary users, but it takes far too long to load on a mobile phone. This decreases the number of “Googlers”, something that the major search engine wants to avoid at all costs.
2) Updating is Faster and Easier Than Ever
In previous years, a change to your website meant both a change to the desktop version and the mobile version. This would take twice the time of either your employee or your website company. With a responsive design, the change only needs to be made once, keeping your website consistent across all platforms and efficiently using your time and money.
3) SEO, Link Building, and Campaigns are Streamlined
Similar to how updating is easier, SEO will only need to be done to one version of the site. In some cases, it’s beneficial to have a mobile SEO campaign and a desktop SEO campaign, but the majority of SEO looks the same across all platforms. Link building also becomes streamlined, as the URL structure remains the same.
If your website is outdated, or you’re looking for your first one, be sure to ask your web design company about responsive website designs. MLT Group provides individual mobile designs as well as responsive designs to meet the needs of every business. Contact MLT Group today or call our office at 507. 281.3490 for more information.