The significance of responsive, mobile-first design has only become more vital in 2019. According to studies by SimilarWeb, 63 percent of US website visits come from mobile devices. As a result, the proportion of visits to the website is declining from bigger screens like laptops and desktop computers. We can expect this trend to remain. In the future, even more website visits will come from mobile devices like tablets, smartphones, wearables and even AR / VR apps.
What is responsive design?
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, web design was relatively simple. Then you just constructed with the assumption that people using it would have small, displays and be viewing it on a desktop computer or laptop.
Now that smartphones, tablets, and high-definition desktop displays have entered the fray, there is no longer any value in designing for a single screen size. Instead, web designers need to consider how to construct modular websites that show differently depending on the device used. This has led them to prioritize mobile-first design which aims to improve the experience of mobile users first.
Responsive design is a method of optimizing your website to display neatly across screens of varying dimensions. The responsive website has a fluid and flexible design that adjusts to the size of the screen. Essentially, your website will look good and function well on your computer (or laptop), your tablet, and your mobile phone browser.
Having a mobile responsive website therefore isn’t merely a preference— it’s a necessity in this fast-moving dental business you’re operating in. Here are some of the reasons why your dental website needs to be responsive:
1. More people are using smartphones
According to the statistic mentioned at the start of the article, mobile devices have finally overtaken the use of desktop computer and laptop when it comes to browsing the web. Responsive design is synonymous with mobile-first design, which means that the mobile experience is prioritized above all else.
2. Better User Experience
User experience is an essential for all website visitors. You want individuals to love using your site, so it should be simple to use to help them find what they need. If someone visits your website on a mobile device and it takes forever to load or if your photos do not have the correct resolution, your business may seem unprofessional.
Responsive design provides a much better user experience that can persuade people who don’t know your dental practice to give it a chance.
3. Less maintenance
Ten years ago, website developers would produce a number of designs to provide for the particular needs of mobile and desktop users.
As a consequence, website development and maintenance were an expensive undertaking, as you were required to update each version of the site separately. If you didn’t want to trouble yourself and chose only the desktop variant, you ran the risk of losing out to prospective mobile customers and mobile-based income.
Responsive design means that we only need to update the site once. This will automatically update the other versions of the site, making maintenance faster and easier.
4. Better for SEO
A site living on two platforms requires two different URLs and two separate HTML files. This makes it difficult for search engines to crawl them, making it difficult to find them searches. In addition, because content is not configured for multiple devices, something shared on one device may not be translate well on another device.
With responsive design, since you’re only generating one URL on a responsive design platform, it’s simpler for Google and other search engines to crawl, which helps you rank higher on desktop and mobile device searches. This helps them provide a consistent user experience on their website.
5. Faster page loading
There are many websites today that get side-tracked with functionality that can make it take an eternity to load. This is certainly something that undermines successful user experience and will drive prospective dental patients away.
Responsive websites generally perform better and load much faster, enhancing user experience and considerably lowering bounce rates.
Consult with us at Dr. Websites
Are you ready to update your dental website to mobile-friendly, responsive web design? We here at Dr. Websites have years of experience in web design, helping you increase leads at your dental practice. Contact us today for a consultation.