Today’s mobile users have very high expectations for their online experience. A study by Google reports 48% of users feel if a site doesn’t work well on mobile it means the company doesn’t care, and 52% of users are less likely to interact with a brand in the future after a bad mobile experience. Despite these high stakes, 96% of users say they’ve come across a site that doesn’t work well on mobile. How confident are you about your mobile experience?
Scaled-down m-dot sites filled the gap for a while, but it didn’t take long to discover flaws in this approach. For starters, it’s an entirely separate web property that requires its own maintenance. The forced redirects to m-dot sites can also slow down crucial load time and hurt SEO. And what about when a mobile user wants to share the URL with someone on a computer? Forget it.
Thankfully responsive design emerged as a much more practical way to satisfy users on a variety of devices, but many companies have yet to make the switch. If you’re one of them, here are some ways responsive design can benefit your company:
- Increased conversion rates from mobile users who can now navigate your site much easier
- Shortened load time versus a traditional site on mobile, or a redirecting m-dot site
- A more consistent experience for users, no matter their device
- Less time spent on site maintenance since you’ll only have to manage one web property
So now you’re thinking “Great, let’s get started!” Congratulations! But, take a step back – this is actually a pretty large undertaking. You need to have a thorough understanding and detailed plan before jumping right into redesigning your site. Some of the important questions to ask include:
- Which pages are most popular on your traditional website vs. mobile devices?
- What types of devices and browsers are most common among your users?
- What are your current load times like? (Great to use as a benchmark)
- What content on your website can you ditch?
One thing that can help out tremendously with the planning process is incorporating a usability expert at the start of the project. A UX expert can review a mockup or wireframe of your new site design to ensure you’re on the right path and hitting key usability components. He or she can also help with the navigation – making it easily accessible and intuitive will be crucial to success.
If you’re interested in making the transition, our free whitepaper offers some more specific tips on key features to include, data size limitations and testing tips for your project. Download it now>>