I had a meeting with a client last week where we discussed a potential website redesign. I said that a new website should be responsive so that it adapts to different screen sizes and is easier to use on tablets (iPads etc) and smartphones. Yet, the website owner wasn't totally convinced so I described responsive web design with (what I hoped was) a clear explanation.
We also checked the website's visitor statistics (the site is using Google Analytics) to assess how many website users were using mobile devices. I was expecting 20 - 25% but we discovered that the numbers were higher. In fact, 43% of visitors were browsing with mobile devices like iPads. Gosh, I wasn't expecting as high as that! And the number was increasing every month.
The website in question is an ecommerce site designed as a fixed width layout about 4 years ago. As a result, it doesn't work as well on mobile devices as a responsive site. There's a good chance that sales are lower because of that!
Website statistics might sound a bit dull but the information is very useful for informing your website decisions. And it might cost you money if you ignore what the numbers are telling you.
So, the moral of this story is...
Check your website visitor statistics regularly. Review and assess your website.
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Good moral. You never know when there are sudden changes in web statistics that require you to change and adapt. That being said, responsive web design is not a simple issue. Unfortunately there are plenty of websites that are responsive just for the sake of it. While it can be highly effective in “unclogging” the mobile experience, I believe that there needs to be a thought out function in responsive design. More than just making columns collapse on top of each other.
Interesting blog you have!
Regards,
Tim Base