One way of achieving this is through responsive web design. Responsive web design (RWD) means that a website is laid out and coded in a manner that’s flexible enough to provide an optimal viewing experience across a wide range of devices; whether it is viewed on the screen of a desktop computer monitor or a mobile phone, the RWD site will respond to the size of that particular screen, ensuring the best browsing experience for the user.

Gibe has been designing responsive websites for clients since 2013. For examples of our responsive designs, visit Tap Warehouse, The Whistlefish and Armit Wines.

So why do we recommend that our clients go responsive?

Below are the main reasons:

Cost-effective

We believe that RWD sites provide the most cost-effective means of making your website mobile friendly. One responsive website will work on all devices, so only one site needs to be created and maintained. In addition, only minimal future maintenance will be needed in order to comply with new browsers.

Increase your visibility in search engines

A responsive site enhances search-engine optimisation (SEO) efforts by directing all visitors to a single site, no matter what device they use. Google states that responsive web design is its recommended mobile configuration and is the industry best practice. Search engines prefer responsive web design because content that ‘lives’ on one website and one URL is much easier for users to share, interact with and link to than content on a separate mobile site.

With mobile usage forecast to continue to grow, and with Google now using mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal, there's never been a better time to go responsive.

Increases sales and conversion rates

We've seen increased sales and conversion rates, and reduced bounce rates, for clients who have implemented responsive design. RWD provides a consistent and fluid user experience across all screen resolutions and all devices, making it easier for customers to buy from a site whenever and however they wish; at home, at work, on a phone or on a tablet.

Increases your reach to tablet and mobile audiences

As more consumers have become comfortable with shopping online, using a multitude of devices, the need for responsive development has been increasingly apparent. The most recent results from the IMRG Capgemini Quarterly Benchmarking Report revealed that over 37% of online sales are now made via a smartphone or tablet device, with this figure increasing to 43% for clothing merchants (some Gibe designed sites are experiencing up to 50% of their traffic is from tablet and mobile devices).

Clearly, it makes sound commercial sense to ensure high-quality user experience for the smaller screen sizes, and across all devices.

With mobile usage forecast to continue to grow, and with Google now using mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal, there’s never been a better time to go responsive.

Test if your site is mobile friendly according to Google...