A responsive website, also known as a flexible website, is one that automatically adapts to the screen of the device the user is using. That is, it doesn't matter if the user is accessing it from a laptop, iPad, or smartphone; the website will always fit the size of the device's display to facilitate reading. The goal is to adjust the dimensions of the website's components to mold to the size of each screen, improving the website's usability.
An example of websites that lack responsiveness is those that, when accessed from a smartphone, have reduced text and image sizes, making access and navigation on that site difficult and tiring. In these cases, the reader has to use the zoom in and zoom out tools all the time to navigate the site, which does not happen with responsive websites.
Data from IBGE shows that in Brazil, access to the internet via mobile phones and tablets has already surpassed access via traditional computers, highlighting the importance of adapting your website and business to new technologies.
Cost-Benefit
Typically, this technology is already included in the packages of website development companies and usually does not incur additional costs for its implementation when creating the website.
The company Comersite, in 2013, provided interesting data based on a survey of 40 clients from various fields, where they discovered that:
-
30% of accesses are made through smartphones
-
Of 10 users who have difficulty navigating a website, 4 claim they would not return to the same site, and 7 expect a maximum of 5 seconds for the page to load
-
More than 15% of transactions on Mercado Livre in Latin America originate from mobile
A responsive website increases your relevance in search engines and qualifies your site in Google's ranking. Google's ranking system considers user experience and website compatibility with devices as a classification factor.
Remember: The digital market is very dynamic; if your website takes 7 seconds to load and your competitor's site, which sells the same product, takes 2 seconds to load, you will lose at least 30% of customers. If you're curious to know the performance of your current website on a mobile device, Google's developers have this cool tool to check your mobile site's speed.
The Future
One of the great advantages of a responsive website is that it is designed to adapt to the size of the screen, not the device. This way, it won't matter if in the future a device with a giant or tiny screen is invented; the components of the website will always adapt to the screen size to be displayed appropriately to the user.
Having a beautiful website is no longer enough; it is necessary to provide a good user experience, with reduced waiting time for page loads, a layout consistent with the brand and pleasant to the eyes, and a good distribution of components on the page. Fast and accessible navigation, with well-highlighted links and Call-To-Actions, are essential for website development. All of this will make the browser feel comfortable on your site, increasing the chances of conversion.
Want to know more about responsive websites? Kaizen has extensive knowledge about website development. Talk to one of our consultants.
