Importance of Responsive Website Design with the Increase in Mobile Traffic Trends

The term “responsive web design” was originally coined back in 2010 by graphic designer, Ethan Marcotte in a paper he wrote about the need to create “flexible and fluid” websites that adjusted based on a user’s device or screen size.

There is a real difference between ‘responsive’ websites and ‘true responsive’ websites. The first merely consists of a website which simply flicks to a mobile version, but displays the desktop version for all devices in between. A true responsive website adapts with fluid layouts, flexible grids, and different font sizes. This ensures that your website is consistent and functional for every sort of user, iPad, small laptop and phone.

Through industry statistics and numbers, we are able to truly divulge the trends of mobile friendly website design and see what users are looking for. The following list is a compilation of findings that will give you a holistic view of mobile website design melbourne and globally. Not based on guesswork, but real numbers, you and your development team can prioritise what parts of your website need work.

Mobile friendly Website Design Statistics 

• In 2010, there were over 2 billion internet users worldwide. In 2021, there were over 4.6 billion. (Source)
• 50% of smartphone users are more likely to use a company or brand’s mobile site when browsing or shopping on a smartphone because they don’t want to download an app. (Source)
• Almost 90% of adults think the mobile version of a website should be equally good or even better than the desktop one. (Source)
• When asked what visual elements they value on a company website, 40% of consumers said images, 39% said colour, and 21% said video. (Source)
• The average time users spend on their smartphones per day in 2021, is almost 3 hours and 15 minutes. (Source)

Responsive User Experience & Audience Habits

• 74% of users are most likely to return to mobile-friendly websites. (Source)
• 72% of users expect companies to have a mobile-ready website design. (Source)
• 53% of mobile users leave a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load. (Source)
• 79% of users go back to search if the page they landed on isn’t mobile-friendly. (Source)
• When searching for a business online, 88% of mobile users call or go to that business within 24 hours.(Source)
• If the content is too long – 30% of users will switch devices, and 38% will stop visiting the website. (Source)

Importance of Responsive in Digital Marketing

• Google prioritises responsive web design, indexing more mobile-friendly webpages for search results.  (Source)
• 68% of companies have integrated mobile marketing into their marketing strategy. (Source)
• Mobile video ads account for 68% of digital video revenue. (Source)
• Google introduced worldwide mobile-first indexing in 2018, favouring mobile-friendly sites as the top search results. (Source)

Importance of Responsive in Mobile eCommerce

• In 2021, 53.9 percent of all retail ecommerce is expected to be generated via mobile devices. (Source)
• 79% of smartphone users have made a purchase online using their mobile device in the last 6 months (Source)
• 68% of companies with mobile-first web design increased their sales. (Source)
• It’s predicted that mCommerce will account for 75% of all digital commerce sales by 2023. (Source)

Mobile Web Design Case Studies

• Plusnet, a provider of broadband and phone services, saw a 10X increase in sales on smartphones and tablets after doing a responsive re-design of their website. (Source)
• Blazing Saddles offers cycling tours in New York City and San Francisco. When their new, responsive website went live, mobile and tablet traffic increased by 74% and all traffic to the site grew by more than 40%. (Source)

Moving Forward with Mobile Design

We hope these statistics and case studies help truly elucidate the importance of responsive web design, especially with the surging trend of increased mobile device usage across all generations. To further jumpstart your website’s mobile design gameplan, we’ve created an easy to follow checklist which will guide your web designers and developers in their mobile optimisation strategy.

Best Responsive Mobile Web Design Best Practices 2021

The key features of a responsive website include:

• A flexible navigation that adjusts width, layout, and position of elements on the page based on the user’s screen size and ensures nothing is obscured or hiding in a corner
• Simplicity in layout of text, design elements and navigation so it’s easy to read and view on smaller screens, and are not sitting on top of each other
• Legibility of text and elements should be clear, and not shrink just because it’s a smaller device
• Ensure all phone numbers are text and not images so users can tap-to-call, or copy and paste the number to share with a friend
• Adequate use of white space and page composition so that elements don’t feel crowded and look overwhelming to a user. In fact sections will allow users to scan through much faster
• Increase form input fields so it’s easy for the user to fill out the form

Let Us Know If You Need Help

Regardless of the “best practices” you follow, remember that a website isn’t “finished” after your first design. It is important to continually analyse your data and the habits of your own target audience and expectations. From the trends and numbers above, you can see how the world of responsive web design is a whole world of its own and quite unique from the rules that govern desktop design and the user habits and expectations.

If you have any questions in regards to ‘mobile web design melbourne’ or even other web design-related queries, don’t hesitate to reach out to chat to our team on 03 9912 6403. With a small but specialised team of digital designers, web developers and conversion specialists, we are more than happy to see how we can help you.