Responsive Web Design: Why One Small Business Thinks Your Small Business Needs to Have It
Five years ago a small business was ahead of the curve if it had a nicely designed website. But with a Cisco report showing mobile data traffic up a staggering 81% in 2013 alone as more and more consumers use different types of devices to browse the Internet, web design site, Wingman Planning says every small business needs their website to be easily accessible on multiple platforms.
“The market is continuing to change and as more people learn about responsive websites, the more they realize that it could make a big difference in their business,” said Tom Mirabella, co-founder of the eight-person web-design startup.
“By having your website coded this way, you are allowing consumers to engage with the site more.... Just ask yourself, ‘Do you use your phone to search online?’ and I guarantee almost everyone would answer, ‘Absolutely.’"
Responsive websites make sites flexible for viewing on any device -- whether, for instance, it’s a PC, iPhone, iPad or Android -- giving the consumer the same content but varying the look dependent on where it is viewed. And mobile search is quickly gaining traction over the more traditional desktop queries. According to SuperMonitoring.com, a monitoring and testing service for websites, 50% of mobile phone users access the Internet primarily from their phone, which, Mirabella says, makes responsive web design all the more critical.
“By having your website coded this way, you are allowing consumers to engage with the site more,” he said. “We are seeing more page views per visit on sites with this type of technology…. Just ask yourself, ‘Do you use your phone to search online?’ and I guarantee almost everyone would answer, ‘Absolutely.’”
Wingman Planning designs can cost anywhere from $1,200-$5,000, and Mirabella, who was in marketing for 8 years prior to starting the company, said he always had small businesses in mind when he created his own.
“I saw marketing going digital and I thought that everyone would need a good online presence…. Bigger companies have the resources, but small companies often don’t,” he said. “If you have the time, a small business owner can create their website using a template. But most small businesses don’t have the time and I believe that businesses benefit from original designs -- and you need to make sure that the finished product looks really good on every device.”
Christina is on Twitter @ChristinaScotti