A responsive website is one that automatically adapts to the device the user is using to access the content, whether it's a smartphone, laptop, computer, or tablet. Regardless of the screen size, the page will present a lightweight, pleasant, and linear layout that will always allow for the best viewing experience on any type of device.
One of the reasons to be concerned about responsiveness is precisely the fact that smartphones, which come in various sizes and operating systems, have become the primary means of accessing the internet in Brazil. According to data from the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Supplement of the National Household Sample Survey (Pnad) 2015, the most recent survey on the subject released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
According to the survey, in 92.1% of Brazilian households, internet access is done via mobile phone compared to 70.1% via computer. Since 2015, everything suggests that this number has only increased – making this the essential time to consider the development of a website that aligns with user browsing preferences.
Relevance that generates audience
Since April 2015, Google has given more relevance in searches to websites that offer a good experience for various devices, meaning: it started to consider responsiveness when ranking pages in search results.
Thus, a “Mobile First” website (which prioritizes navigation via mobile devices) can gain prominence more easily and, as a result, receive more traffic simply by adapting to the screens used by users.
A great benefit with no additional costs if the site is already created prioritizing the optimization of the user experience.
The era of responsive websites
With smartphones becoming increasingly indispensable in people's daily lives, just look around to see proof of why this is the era of responsive websites: people with their eyes glued to their screens.
And those who are focused on mobile websites and applications tend to continue doing so if the layout allows for a complete experience – without the need to adjust the page zoom to, for example, be able to read.
According to Google Developers, using responsive web design also reduces the chance of errors that typically affect websites created for mobile devices, making this method the best to cater to all environments: from PC to smartphone. Additionally, Google PageSpeed Developers highlights that this mode of development also speeds up the complete loading of the page on mobile devices.
Another point worth considering is that using this type of page helps to reduce the bounce rate, which is when a user accesses only one page of the site and leaves without clicking on anything. For Google's algorithm, this behavior can signal that the content is not relevant – leading to a loss of positions in searches.
Therefore, focusing on creating a responsive website makes it easier to retain users. If the page is not optimized, the user will spend less and less time there, will leave before any interaction, and will end up not accessing it at all – after all, 3G and 4G are not cheap in Brazil, but that's another discussion...
Thus, considering all the points, it is easy to conclude that using a responsive website is a benefit for everyone: for those offering a service or product online and for the user who can easily find what they are looking for – and have immediate and effective access.