According to figures from Zenith Media, no less than 75% of all internet traffic will originate from a mobile device in 2017. It is therefore not surprising that a responsive website is becoming the standard in the online world. It is no coincidence that Google has prioritized responsive (also known as mobile-friendly) websites in its search results since April 21, 2015. Is your website not responsive? Chances are your competitor is one step ahead of you.
However, as a support employee, I see that there are many websites active on the internet that are currently not responsive. These websites lag behind their competitors in search engines. At Best4u, we believe that a mobile website is a must these days. Especially since Google has announced a mobile-first approach: there will be a separate mobile index that will become the leading one. So, 'responsive' is absolutely not a hype!
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What is a responsive website?
A responsive website scales with the screen on which you view it. Simply put, responsive websites adapt to the screen a visitor is using to view the website. Whether it is a desktop, tablet, or mobile device, your website's layout adjusts and remains perfectly readable for visitors at all times.
It is not surprising that mobile visitors drop off if your website is not responsive. After all, the content is not easily readable and the layout is no longer consistent. You, too, probably quickly lose interest on a website where you have to zoom in to read the text.
Is your website responsive?
Google scans your website for a number of factors, such as usability, link clickability, and text size. These factors determine the mobile-friendliness of your website. To test whether your website is mobile-friendly, Google has developed a scan. With this tool, you can see if your website is mobile-friendly and, if not, which elements you need to adjust to develop a mobile-friendly website.
Test here if your website is mobile-friendly >
What are the possibilities?
There are several ways to develop a mobile-friendly website. Two options stand out: on the one hand, the responsive website, and on the other, a separate mobile website. A responsive website is a single website with a single URL that adapts to the screen on which the website is opened. With a responsive website, you can be sure that your website performs well on any screen.
A separate mobile website is – as the term suggests – a standalone website hosted at a different URL, for example m.domainname.nl. The content of this website is completely independent of the standard desktop version. This means that you always have to update your content twice.
At Best4u, we prefer responsive websites. There are several reasons for this, but findability is a particularly important one. If you have a separate mobile website with less information than your desktop version, this could lead to poorer findability in 2017. This is due to the mobile-first approach announced by Google. Additionally, a separate mobile website is often a limited version of the 'real' desktop website. As a result, there is a chance that your visitors still won't be able to find what they are looking for.
The most important thing is to think from your visitor's perspective. At Best4u, we are happy to advise you and map out the possibilities for you. Feel free to contact us. contact for more information!