Within the past couple of years there has been a great deal of talk about the importance of responsive websites. Unfortunately, there are still quite a number of businesses out there that just haven’t got the message. It can’t be said often enough that one of the most effective ways of increasing your market share is to reach a wider audience.

If your website isn’t responsive, this is where you are failing your business. The fastest and most effective way of growing your customer base is with a responsive website. Here are just a few reasons why.

Mobilegeddon Wasn’t for Nothing!

Responsive web design

Someone, somewhere, coined the term “Mobilegeddon” when referring to Google’s 2015 update to their already numerous algorithms. In short, what Google found was that the majority of people conducted searches from mobile devices.

This was frustrating because the websites they were trying to view could not be viewed well on a tiny mobile screen. In an effort to make online viewing more satisfying, Google updated their algorithms so that only responsive (mobile-friendly) websites would rank in mobile searches. Now you can put two and two together!

Only websites which can be viewed well on a small screen are listed in mobile searches so that visitors aren’t wasting time and data-usage on something they can’t see or navigate well.

Some Telling Statistics

Perhaps it would be better to approach the subject with some recent statistics. Did you know that:

  • It is estimated that at least 10 billion mobile devices are currently in use around the globe.
  • In the United States alone, more than 125 million people own and use smartphones daily.
  • As of 2016, 62% of those smartphone users made a purchase within the previous 6 months.
  • Smartphone statistics will probably jump by two decimal places before year’s end in 2017.

Now, here’s the real telling statistic you should internalise as a business owner or director.

More than 80 percent of shoppers use their smartphone while shopping locally in a brick and mortar store to check prices and look at product details and specifications.

Can you imagine how hard that would be if a website wasn’t responsive? It would actually be an exercise in futility because there is no way they’d see much of anything at all, so why bother? Customers simply don’t want to buy something they know nothing about so they move on to the next store where a clerk is available to answer any and all questions they might have.

And, the Best News Is…

For those with mobile-friendly websites, the best news is yet to come. These figures are outdated by more than 3 fiscal quarters which means that responsive websites are capturing an even bigger piece of the market share than the figures above indicate.

One Final Projection to Keep in Mind

Finally, the most important statistic of all should clue you in to the importance of a responsive website. The year 2017 will see a minimum of $327 (£243) billion spent online with at least 50 percent of that being conducted from a smartphone.

Woman sketching design, top view

As businesses are looking to capture their share of the $164 billion dollar mobile half of the pie, it stands to reason that responsive sites are the only ones who will get a taste of the action. If you aren’t hosting a responsive website, you are denying your business increased traffic and the revenue those visitors bring along with them.

The fix is easy and now you know what to do – go mobile. It’s as simple as that.

When creating your new responsive website you may want to consider optimising your website and getting it ready for the holiday season too!

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