Responsive design is basically a way of laying out websites in such a way that they “respond” to the size of the screen they’re being viewed upon. The “tech-speak” for the screen you’re using is “viewport.” What implementing responsive web design solutions means for your online presence is simple; mobile compatibility. Now, what does making sure your website is mobile compatible mean to you? Here are some numbers (and yes, we’re going to cite our sources).
- 44% of the world’s population use smartphones.
- 66% of those mobile users access the internet everyday on their mobile devices; and most never leave their homes without their phone/mobile computing device.
- Appearing on a smartphone is crucial for local businesses. 94% of smartphone users look for local information on their phone and 90% take action as a result (meaning, they show up at your door, call you, or buy something from you). What this implies is that you NEED mobile compatibility. Click-able phone numbers, easy and intuitive mobile web navigation, etc.
- In Q1 of 2012 internet usage by device was as follows, 88.62% of internet usage was on a laptop or desktop computer. 5.95% was on a tablet, and 5.42% was on a smartphone. In Q1 of 2013 internet usage was 78.99% on laptops and desktops. 10.58% was on tablets and 10.44% was on smartphones. Go ahead, pull out your pencil and paper (or calculator) and add all those numbers up and see if they make 100%. We’ll wait.
Sources: Google Mobile Planet and Smart Insights
If you require even more convincing, refer to this document.