RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN – NO LONGER AN OPTION, IT’S A NECESSITY
It’s a fact of life these days that people are taking to their smartphones to search for services and products around the world. According to real-time intelligence data GSMA, there are 5.25 billion people with a mobile device worldwide. That means a whopping 67.04% of the world’s population has a mobile device. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the need for your website to be responsive and work on a mobile device is no longer a nice option, it’s a necessity.
What is a responsive website?
A responsive web design is a website that changes its layout to suit the device it is being viewed on. For example, if the user is looking at your site on their smartphone, the website adapts to size, ensuring the user can see everything clearly and as is intended. There will be no need to zoom in or have large chunks of text missing. It will be easy to navigate and access links and there will be no horizontal scrolling.
Why is a responsive website so important?
There are numerous reasons why having a responsive site is so important. The major benefit of having a responsive layout is the guarantee that any user on any device will have a first-rate experience of your website.
Not only this, but Google’s algorithm update in 2015 meant responsive websites would have increased visibility in search results. This was big news at the time, and with Google’s search engine market share still being more than 90%, is still wholly relevant today. You want your dental practice to appear in those results. Google has now started identifying specific sites with mobile usability issues and recommending they fix these issues to enable the best coverage in a Google search. There has never been a better time to get a responsive website.
Websites that are not optimised for smaller screens will start to experience a decline in their search engine rankings. This means they will not be found online, which, for our clients, could mean not getting new patients through the door.
Benefits of a responsive website
- Can improve SEO results and reduce your bounce rate – a responsive web design will have increased visibility in search engines and people will stay on the site as it is user-friendly.
- It gives your patients faith in your brand and company – this is because the message you portray is clear and consistent on any device they happen to be using, whether that’s their mobile, tablet, laptop, or PC.
- A consistent experience – a clear message is more likely to convert into a new patient.
- You can be proud of the service you are offering – It’s frustrating for the user if they can’t find the information, they are looking for easily and immediately. This means you could lose them to a potential competitor. It’s better to be proud of the service you are providing.
- Allows you to refine the content on your site – it makes you consider the essential information you are trying to convey to your patients.
- Measure analytics and tracking – these can all be found in one place, so it is easier to track these results.
A responsive web design will have increased visibility in search engines because it is mobile-friendly. This means a website with a functional mobile experience will appear in internet search results above those without. When you consider all of the above, having a responsive website is a no brainer!
Having your dental practice portrayed in a user-friendly manner in all forms of media now appears to be a necessity. This can only become more apparent with the evolution of other mobile media, such as smart watches, which are rising in popularity.
If you don’t know whether your website is mobile-friendly, you can take the Google Mobile friendly Test now.
If your website is not already mobile responsive and you would like to chat through the possibilities to get it changed, please contact the team at Dental Design Marketing on 01202 677 277 and we can help you take your website to the next step.
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