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Responsive websites – what are they?

If you are a business owner and already have a website, that’s wonderful news as you probably saw the potential of the Internet where users can find out about your business and get in touch with you. (If you haven’t already have a website, what are you waiting for?!)

You’re probably thinking, “all’s well and good, I already have a website” but the next question is – Is your website mobile responsive? What the heck is mobile responsive? Responsive design is an approach to web page creation that makes use of flexible layouts, flexible images and cascading style sheet media queries. The goal of responsive design is to build web pages that detect the visitor’s screen size and orientation and change the layout accordingly.

In simple terms, it means your website is optimised for mobile devices where the layout or design adapts to different screen sizes. For example, if you visit www.johorbiznet.com on your mobile device, you will notice that the layout will ‘flow’ downwards and there is no need for you to ‘pinch and zoom’ to be able to read the text unlike some websites. If your current website does not adapt to mobile devices, you really need to look at upgrading your website as soon as possible.

This is because in 2017, mobile has surpassed desktops for Internet traffic. Effectively, this means you risk losing more than half of your Internet visitors when they visit a non-responsive website. Can you afford to take the risk?

So, what should you do if your website is still stuck in the “dinosaur age”? Firstly, you need to look at investing in a brand new website as your old one is probably too out-dated in the first place. Engage a reputable web developer and work on creating your content. Too many companies make the mistake of thinking that their website must “wow” their users with the design. In actual fact, users come to your website to search for information or content and stay on your page if they find what they are looking for.

Secondly, once your new responsive website is ready and you start to get a steady stream of users, you will need to look at constantly updating the information or providing the latest updates in your website so that users have a reason for coming back. You can explore creating an article section on your website and updating it periodically as this helps in Search Engine Optimisation in the long run.
And lastly, invest in a proper Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) campaign to target your intended audience and get the proper exposure.

The Internet is still the most effective platform to reach your audience in the fastest way at affordable costs. The key is in utilising the proper tools and the proper channels. So, make sure your website is a responsive one as soon as you can!