Responsive Web Development in 2021
2021 will mark the 22nd year of Digital Tea developing websites for clients in Edmonton and across North America. During that time, we’ve seen many changes, including Google becoming the dominant search engine, the emergence of social media and social media advertising, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) evolving from “black hat” tactics to the science it is today, e-Commerce becoming mainstream, responsive web development becoming a necessity for all organizations, and much more.
Our first article in this series looked at e-commerce. This time, we’re going to discuss responsive web development and why it’s so important for businesses of all sizes.
What is Responsive Web Development?
Responsive web development and design ensures that your website automatically adapts to the device a visitor is using and displays a version optimized for that device—whether it’s a desktop, tablet, smartphone, or even a smart TV. Responsive web development does more than just resize a website; it optimizes user experience, file size, and performance. Factors we take into consideration include:
- Web Design: Ensuring your website is visually appealing on all devices and easy to navigate regardless of screen size.
- Website Usability (UI/UX): Giving visitors the best user experience whether they are using a mouse on a desktop or swiping on a mobile device.
- Website Speed and Performance: Optimizing load times and bandwidth usage, especially important for mobile users who may not be on Wi-Fi.
Benefits of Responsive Web Development and Design
Users have come to expect a website to just work, regardless of the device they’re on. Google wants to ensure that users find what they are looking for quickly and easily. Since a majority of searches are now done on mobile devices, Google switched to mobile-first indexing in 2019, meaning it predominantly uses the mobile version of your website for indexing and ranking. A mobile-optimized website improves Google rankings and increases the likelihood of potential customers finding your business instead of your competitors.
A responsive website is also beneficial beyond SEO. Happy web visitors will stay on your site longer, view more pages, and are more likely to contact your business or make a purchase.
In conclusion, responsive web development and design benefits include:
- Happier Web Users: Users expect your site to work on any device. If it’s slow or difficult to navigate, they’ll move on.
- Higher Website Conversion Rates: The longer a visitor stays on your site, the more opportunities to convert them into leads or paying customers.
- Search Engine Optimization Boost: Site speed and usability, especially on mobile, directly influence your Google ranking.
A Responsive Website is Important for All Digital Marketing Strategies
Before investing in Google Ads, social media management, blog content, or SEO, ask yourself: do I want more people viewing my website in its current state on any device? If the answer is no, developing a responsive website should be your first investment.
Responsive website development should be part of any SEO strategy because optimized site speed and usability amplify the effectiveness of content optimization strategies. While a strong social media presence is valuable, your website provides the control and authority your business needs. Social media should drive potential customers to your website to learn more about your business.
Google Ads are great for driving traffic, but new traffic means nothing if your current website can’t convert visitors into leads or paying customers. Your website is the foundation of everything you do online. Is it representing your business the way you want it to?
What’s Next?
Our next blog post will focus on Search Engine Optimization in 2021, covering content creation, blogging, local SEO, and more. Stay tuned, and please let us know if you have questions, feedback, or suggestions for topics you’d like us to discuss.
You can reach us via the form at the bottom of every page of our website, by phone at (780) 473-4600, or by email at [email protected]. Stay connected by following @digitaltea on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.