The times are changing, and so are the habits of your users—who now use multiple devices to access your website. Think of the last time you weren’t able to read the text on a website or when it was so complicated to navigate that you just gave up. That was a website that lacked responsive design, and it likely led to high bounce rates, low sales, and a lack of visibility in search engine results.
A responsive website allows users to quickly access and read its information and content. More than just ease on the eyes, a responsive website accommodates your users’ many devices and manages to get the same message across display formats.
If your website isn’t responsive, read on to learn more about why a responsive site is so essential to your digital marketing strategy, affecting the way people view your brand. At Gauge Digital Media, we know how much a website’s responsiveness affects user behavior. That’s why we will help you optimize your website to ensure that it will keep people clicking and make users happy with their experience.
What is responsive web design?
Responsive web design means that your website accommodates all the devices that people use to shop. The website should be legible and easy to access on desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones. Each device has format differences that may necessitate different designs of your site to fit each screen.
When a design is responsive, it boosts your chances of appearing in search engine results. One example of this is Google, which recently changed its algorithm to prioritize results that have desirable mobile formatting. To ensure that your site is responsive, call our team at Gauge Digital Media.
We will make sure your site looks and works seamlessly across platforms and browsers, making changes when necessary. Responsive design isn’t static—because when your site changes, so do the requirements of search engines to appear in their algorithms. With Gauge Digital Media, we take care of these changes and make sure that your business stays on the digital map.
How does user experience factor into responsive design?
Search engines care about user experience because that is what keeps those engines relevant and in business. If users performs a search and consistently receives low-quality websites as a response to their query, they becomes frustrated. Search engines frequently modify their algorithms.
When a website is not responsive, it creates a poor user experience, so as a result, search engines will “demote” it. The demotion is a resolvable issue with the right tools and strategy, but it causes unnecessary hassle. Moreover, you as the site owner will lose time when you could be appearing in search engine results and making impressions.
Our experts at Gauge Digital Media will ensure that your website is user-friendly, keeping your site ahead of the competition. We update and upgrade your website for you and make sure that it meets the requirements of search engines.
How do I know if my website is responsive?
To know how your website looks to your customers, you need to test it on all devices. If you find that it’s hard to read, doesn’t get the point across, or has design errors, your website may need tweaking. An unresponsive website is illegible and needs resizing. The images may also not be sized well on the user’s screen.
You can also contact us at Gauge Digital Media, and we will test the site for you. If your website needs improvement or needs a complete change, we outline your options and tackle the process for you. Although you don’t have to be a tech-wiz to identify website responsiveness, it may be challenging to keep up with the consistent changes that keep it visible.
Does design affect conversion rates?
Absolutely. Design does affect converstion rates, and it also affects the way search engines show your site. Unless you have a dedicated customer base that knows your product well, you can’t expect users to dig for information. Creating a sales funnel that leads to conversions means a simple and easy process, and that’s where a solid responsive design comes in.
Do I have to hire a company to incorporate a responsive website design?
If you have a web design background and have the time to learn about creating a responsive website design, you can do it yourself. However, a responsive website will always need frequent tweaking and adjustments, in addition to troubleshooting if something goes wrong.
To ensure that your site has a positive experience and is responsive across all devices, hiring an agency is a better option. At Gauge Digital Media, we help create a website that’s not only responsive but that gets customers to convert. We understand the basics of optimization and user behavior, and we implement this knowledge in our design strategy.
Call us at (410) 376-7709 for a consultation, and let us help you create a responsive design for your website that’s all about user experience.
