Skip to main content
Digital Strategy

Why A Fully Responsive Website Is Essential To Any Business

Growth Gurus Digital Marketing Why a fully Responsive Website is essential to any business

When it comes to websites, there is nothing more important than a user’s first impression. Although the visual presence of a website is important, web design goes much further. It looks at the usability, ergonomics, navigation philosophy, user custom and other elements that improves your customer’s experience.  Allow us to explain what a responsive website is and why it is fundamental to your business.

What is Responsive Web Design?

Responsive web design relates to design and development that is responsive to a user’s screen size, operating platform and location. For example a phone screen will display one column of content and your laptop will display three. Your website represents more than just a feature of your company. It represents your company as a whole. In a recent study, 94% of respondents stated they mistrusted a website due to the web design elements, in comparison to the 6% who stated specific content.

Responsive web design isn’t just the added performance feature for mobile devices, it allows you to extract the mobile segment to view your website traffic. Search engines have even started to promote responsive websites. It’s a critical time to to invest in a responsive web design if you haven’t already!

Growth Gurus Closeup shot of laptop with diagram

Web Design Trends

These days website design and responsive web design are the same thing. If your website is not responsive it is seriously behind your competition. So what forms of graphic design trends have started to make an appearance in 2015 and which are likely to dominate in 2016?

  • Parallax website design concept focuses on a website background which moves at a different pace than the rest of the page when you scroll. The resulted thrilling visual effect makes it no surprise that the majority of web developers are using it. If you’re not too sure how this would visually look, check out one of our parallax designs here: Opal Energy Corp.

 

  • Single page website features a single page where the user can keep scrolling down. Users have the benefit of scrolling through continuous content which acts as a greater source of engagement for website owners.

 

  • Single screen layout is perhaps the latest trend to conquer the eCommerce audience. Single screen layouts focus on having a large background image that dominates the website design. With a single screen layout, content is minimal, however this doesn’t mean it requires minimal design and effort.

 

  • Split screen design features a vertical split with different elements presented on each side. This type of website design is present when a business has two equally important features to promote, with the divide allowing the user to select one. Need inspiration? Look no further than Peugeot’s current home page.

 

  • Block grids are a more recent trend which divides a page into multiple blocks. Inspired by Pinterest , block grids have become increasingly popular among portfolios. Grids can be divided equally or in a continuous fashion or in hierarchical forms where importance is placed on different grids. Block’s aren’t just used by online retailers displaying endless products, check out our client Debra Silverman, who showcases her work in different styles of grids.

 

What type of website design most appeals to you? Are there any other design trends you feel are going to dominate in 2016? We would love to know.

Growth Gurus quote web design Steve Jobs

Website Builder vs Web Developer?

You may be thinking, why not use a free personalised website builder? When it comes to professional web design, a website developer needs to understand your business, what you represent, understand your goals and look to create a user friendly experience. If you look at Wix, Weebly or any other website builders, they offer standard website templates designed for the mass market. Each of the website designs offered don’t take into consideration your goals nor your objectives.

One of the most important web development features to keep in mind is search engine optimization. Although the majority of website builders have basic SEO tools, it’s very unlikely your website will be found organically through search engine’s due to the lack of professional optimization. Such website builders charge a premium SEO software extension which over time builds up. Furthermore free website builders usually brand their name across your domain. Not only is your brand taking the back seat, it also doesn’t go down well with Google and other search engines.

Benefits of a Responsive Website Design

If you still aren’t convinced of investing in responsive web design or are still possibly contemplating using a web builder, the following facts should help change your mind.

Good web design can help decrease your bounce rate. Robert grainer found that the implementation of a responsive design decreased their bounce rate from 86% to just 2% in two days.

Having a responsive web design will help you reach a greater audience. Having a fully functional mobile friendly site is critical in ecommerce! 94% of smartphone users use their smartphones to source for local information, with 84% using their phone to take action.

There is a direct link of SEO and responsive website design. Google actually recommends responsive design when it comes to presenting results for mobile searches.

And finally, stand out from your competitors. Website builders use a range of website templates. If you are trying to build an original brand, you need to differentiate and not have your website lookalike the thousands using the free website templates.

Do you have a responsive and mobile friendly website? Let us know, we’ll test it for free!

Have you got a website that you’re proud to show off? Has your website been optimized? Let us know, we’ll test it for free! Let’s get started immediately on developing a responsive website that you’re not only ecstatic about, but one that benchmarks your success. Websites need to be functional, but also beautiful, is your website on brand? Check out the importance of branding here. Once your website is up and running, you’ll need to keep it up-to-date with a solid content strategy.

Find out how we can help your brand to reach new heights! Get in touch