12 Responsive Web Design Stats That Will Make You Look Smart Around the Water Cooler

12 Stats about responsive web design that will make you look smart around the water cooler

Ask a marketer about important digital trends, and we guarantee that responsive web design will be among their first answers. And it's easy to explain why: the last two years saw a dramatic shift toward mobile internet usage, culminating in Google's now-infamous "Mobilegeddon" algorithm update in April that threatened to banish non-responsive websites from the front pages of its search results.

So when you hear about responsive design, it's not just a buzzword. In 2015, it should be an integral part of your digital strategy, regardless of your industry. So the next time a co-worker brings up the concept during a water break, here are 12 stats about responsive web design that will make you look smart around the water cooler

1) 90% of internet users use multiple screens.

When users visit your site, they won't just be on desktop computers. They'll be looking at your content from laptops, tablets, and mobile devices, expecting it to look and read just as well on each screen.

2) Easy access to most devices is the #1 priority of web developers.

Given the first stat, this one shouldn't come as a surprise. Web developers all industries noted in a 2014 study that their biggest challenge and priority is to make their site user-friendly for users of all devices. The best way to do so? Responsive design.

3) 62% of mobile-optimized websites increased sales.

Mobile is no longer an option. Designing your website responsively will directly lead to increased sales and ultimately helps your business.

4) 52% of users would not return to a site if the mobile experience was bad.

On the flipside of the previous point is the fact that if your site is not optimized for a pleasant mobile experience, you will lose users (and ultimately sales) as a direct result.

5) Half of all consumers take a non-optimized site as an indication that you don't care.

Here, we have the explanation for point 4: if your site is not optimized for their mobile devices, your users will take it personally and think less of you as a company. No less than 48% reported that they take it as an indication that you don't care about them.

6) If your website doesn't load in 3 seconds, 40% of users leave.

Slow load times are among the safest guarantors of losing visitors. And here's the problem: a static site will take longer to load on a mobile device than its responsive counterpart. If your site is not responsive, you risk losing a significant chunk of your potential customers.

Now, let's look at some of the statistics showing how responsive design can improve your website.

7) 69% of users want bigger buttons on mobile.

As we all know, a touch screen is a bit more difficult to precisely navigate than a mouse or touchpad. That's why comparatively bigger buttons are imperative for a pleasant mobile experience, and they are easy to implement with responsive design.

8) Three quarters of users want an experience customized to their screen.

A "regular" (read: old) mobile site that simply duplicates content in a slimmer but static format does not work if your users access it from their tablets, phablets and smartphones. Instead, you need a site that automatically fits their screen, eliminating the need to scroll left or right in any scenario.

9) 74% of users still want a full site.

Another reason against a mobile site or simply adjusting your regular site to fit smaller screens: as it turns out, users still want to have the option of going to the full site to do more in-depth research if need be.

10) 44% of users find navigation on a mobile site difficult.

This is where you can stand out. With an effective, responsive navigation, your website can increase the chance that users turn into customers after you offer them a fulfilling, stress-free online experience.

11) 40% of users go elsewhere if the first Google result is not mobile-friendly.

You can find out whether your site is mobile friendly enough for Google with this quick test tool. If it isn't, you may want to think about responsive design.

And now, a final statistic:

12) Only 55% of companies currently do mobile testing.

Considering all the stats we listed above, that's a shockingly low amount. How do you know if your users' mobile experience is satisfactory if you don't run the tests yourself? Fortunately, that's where we come in. If you are looking for responsive design that incorporates testing into the entire development process, contact us.