In last week’s blog post about WordPress plugins, Matt Amos talked about OSD’s favorite content management system from a developer’s perspective. Personally, I like WordPress from a marketer’s perspective. Why? Because it’s the perfect platform to build a site that works on desktops, tablets, smartphones and more. And if you think that doesn’t matter to your customers, think again.
The case for responsive design
At OSD, we always suggest that clients build their websites using responsive design. What is responsive design? It’s a way of building a website so it adjusts automatically to the device being used to view it. Perhaps the easiest way to understand responsive design is to see three different views of www.camptecumseh.org, which OSD designed and developed this spring.
During the first two weeks of June, more than 30,000 people visited the site. This is a peak time for 2015 camp registration, so traffic is heavy and desktop usage is a bit high – but the numbers still show the value of responsive design.
59% saw the desktop/laptop version of the site
Note that there are three primary ways to enter the site: quick links in the header, links to the three main areas of the site (summer camps, outdoor adventures, conferences and meetings), and icons representing the four key actions you can take.
13% saw the tablet version of the site
Note that the photo adjusts to fill the space vertically and that the social media links drop off the quick links. The primary difference is that the main navigation choices are accessible through a tap on the menu button.
28% saw the mobile version of the site
Again, the photo adjusts to fill the space and the navigation goes into a menu. Also, the logo becomes simpler so that it’s still readable in the smaller space.
All generations appreciate responsive sites
At OSD, we always suggest clients make their sites responsive. Sometimes people say, “That only matters to teenagers. My target audience is older. They don’t care about mobile.”
Typically, I counter that argument by talking about my dad and father-in-law, who are both in their 60s and go everywhere with a smartphone in their pocket. They’re not cutting-edge in a lot of ways, but that phone comes out all the time to look up product reviews and restaurants and even to shop online.
For another example, check out OSD founder Dan Linginfelter’s blog post about his trip to Europe. In that post, Ling talks about all the ways they accessed information on mobile devices. I won’t reveal Ling’s age, but I’ll tell you he’s no teenager.
Recent statistics back up these personal stories. According to the latest Pew Research, 58% of Americans have a smartphone. Among the 50-64 age group, smartphone usage is just shy of 50%. I recently saw a couple of articles that said this age group is especially fond of accessing videos and product reviews online. The Pew Research also reports that 34% say they do most of their web surfing on a phone.
What about a mobile site or app?
Before responsive design took hold, some folks created a special “m dot” (mobile only) version of their site or certain pages. The problem is that each page was created separate from the desktop version – creating twice the maintenance. Responsive design eliminates this hassle. Sometimes there is a benefit to having a mobile-only page – for example, when you want to deliver a completely different experience for mobile users. But in most cases responsive is the way to go.
The bottom line: Observe what happens when this simple question comes up: “Where are we going for dinner?” Chances are, no matter what their age, everyone whips out their phones! And that is a good reason to make sure your website is accessible no matter which devices they use.
- Andy
