Is your website mobile responsive?
Why are some websites easy to navigate on your smart phone, and others leave you feeling frustrated because you can’t find what you are looking for? It’s because some websites are not mobile responsive.
What is it?
Being mobile responsive means that a website has been designed to be adaptable to different sizes of screens – from your laptop to your tablet to your smart phone. It works and looks good on any screen.
Why be responsive?
SmartInsights provides updated statistics on mobile usage. Their most recent update shows that 51% of an adult’s digital usage in a day is on a mobile device – it now surpasses both laptop and desktop usage.
If that’s not enough to convince you, consider the following:
- Google prefers mobile responsive websites, and this will help with a higher search engine ranking.
- You will have a bigger audience. The more ways people can access your website the better.
- Beat your competition. Do your competitors have a mobile responsive site? If not, this is a great opportunity for your business.
Are you responsive?
Are you unsure if your site is responsive? There are a few ways to test if it is. First, check your site on your smart phone. Is it easy to read, or do you have to zoom in on the text? If not, it’s not responsive.
Another way to check is to try the Google Mobile Friendly test. You just enter your URL and it will analyze your site.
Or you can try Am I Responsive. You type in your URL and it will show you exactly what your site looks like on different screen sizes.
What if it’s not responsive?
If your website is not responsive, it may be time to update your site. You could also create a separate mobile site, but this is not recommended. A separate mobile site will not be ranked as favourably with Google. It also increases the chance of inconsistent information between your two sites.
The best, long-term solution is to upgrade your site. Most current content management systems are mobile responsive.
Upgrading your website is an investment of your time and money, but reaching more customers will provide a better return on that investment.
If your business website is responsive, you’re already ahead.