Approach any professional, reputable website design firm when looking to design a new website, and you will undoubtedly be advised to consider a responsive, mobile ready website. That is a website that uses the same URL on all devices, instead of a .mobi in addition to a .co.za / .com / .org etc. You will also notice however, that the responsive website option comes in at a slightly greater cost that your average static website.
It is often this additional cost that puts businesses off. Before you opt for the cheaper static website however, consider why a responsive website is not only beneficial, but in fact essential for the success of your business.
Your website designer is definitely not just out to make an extra buck. Responsive, mobile ready websites are the way of the future and every one of your customers will soon expect one from your business.
The mobile internet is exploding!
As many of you already know, more people access the internet today via their mobile devices than via their desktop computers. While this holds true internationally,
Africa, and indeed Sub-saharan Africa is considered the ‘mobile continent’ as mobile devices provide far more widespread, affordable and reliable access to services and information, which a copper infrastructure never will.
Smartphones are more accessible today by an increasingly widespread segment of the population in South Africa – to quote the most recent figures. According to the latest of South African internet users access the internet via mobile technology.
In other words – internet access via a Smartphone is no longer limited to the elite or wealthy few and the target market you are trying to attract, could well be within that 39.8%. For low income markets who currently fall outside this figure, we must remember that low-cost Smartphones are fast replacing feature phones, while favourable data prices are also having a significantly positive impact on the increasing pace of Smartphone penetration.
Why do responsive websites cost more?
To ensure that a responsive website really does render as it should across all screen sizes, your website developer needs to do ample testing and where required, apply technical adjustments to ensure that the website always works as it should. This additional time spent in quality assurance (QA) testing means that we invest more time in the design and development of your website. It is this additional time that will ultimately be your investment in your business.
What will happen if you upgrade to a mobile responsive website?
Save money: if you are already in the market for a new website, then the slightly more expensive responsive website should be something that you are considering. You will ultimately save money, as it will be inevitable that you upgrade to a responsive website anyway. If on the other hand you have just revamped your website, but you chose a static site – we would advise that you create a mobile version of that website in the meantime and migrate to a fully responsive website when it is time for you to upgrade once again.
Keep Google happy: having fewer pages to index as this makes it easier for search engines to crawl and therefore reference your website. If you still have both a static and mobile version of your website however, this does not mean that your ranking on Google will be adversely affected.
Speed up loading time: responsive websites generally load faster on mobile devices than traditional static websites do, and mobile users like to get their information quickly! A faster loading website increases the chances of your prospect staying on the website, looking around and contacting your company or ordering products. Speed in online and mobile marketing is essential.
Encourage your visitors to buy: of mobile users say that when they visit a mobile-friendly website, they
are more likely to buy a product or service.
Get ahead of the competition: because so many companies still need to make the switch to a mobile-friendly, responsive website, your business has the opportunity to capitalise on this shift by upgrading to a responsive website and attracting more customers before they do.
Be ready for the future: a responsive website will adjust to suit the size of any screen and is device agnostic, so by getting one, you will ensure that your website will always display as it should across every conceivable current and future device – whether that be a Smartphone, wearable technology, TV or tablet.
Be accessible via social media: One of the key activities on mobile technology remains social media. If your organisation hasn’t yet invested in a social media presence, then it is imperative to do so. Apart from positively impacting SEO, a presence on social media will help to drive mobile traffic to your website. Which social media channels to choose and how to maintain your presence on them, can be discussed with your as part of your .
Save time (and some more money): When you have multiple versions of your website, making changes will take longer and there is always a greater margin for error. With a responsive website however, one change reflects across all devices, so you save both time and the cost of performing multiple updates!
Focus on creating a great website
Ultimately, your customers don’t care what website technology you use, they simply want to see your information
easily and quickly. Knowing this, it is imperative today to think ‘mobile-first’ when creating a new website and to deliver a consistently great, premium quality customer experience. If you use this approach to your website design and development, your website is guaranteed to have a tangible, significantly positive impact on your business.
Are you looking for a premium quality mobile friendly website that will attract leads and which your customers will return to? Why not book your free online marketing consultation with our talented team at The Formula and discover how we can help your business to boom?
