The Importance of Responsive Design for eCommerce Websites

The Importance of Responsive Design for eCommerce Websites

More & more people prefer to purchase goods online these days. Around 2 billion customers did so last year. Of these, 49% bought online using their mobile devices. With these statistics, using a responsive eCommerce web design for your online shop proves to be essential as it allows you to cater to all potential customers whether they’re on mobile or desktop.

What does responsive design mean?

It pertains to the web design & development approach which allows websites to adjust to any device’s screen size seamlessly. It makes use of flexible layouts & media along with media queries. This provides an optimal browsing experience across different devices, from a desktop computer to mobile phones to tablets.

How does it differ from a mobile-friendly design?

Essentially, responsive design is mobile-friendly in the sense that it allows for easy browsing outside of a desktop computer. However, they still differ. While a mobile-friendly design scales to a device’s screen size, it can limit a website’s functionality. Particularly, drop-down menus are limited since these can be difficult to use outside desktop or laptop computers.

Why is a responsive eCommerce web design important for online businesses?

eCommerce businesses with a responsive website reap great benefits compared to those without.

Easy navigation & improved user experience

With responsive eCommerce web design & development, users don’t have to zoom in & out to get a clearer view of your products. This prevents user frustration which can lead to a higher bounce rate when they decide to leave your site.

With product images automatically adjusted, mobile users get a clear view of your offerings instantly. Moreover, through responsive eCommerce web design & development, you create smooth website navigation whichever device a user is on. With functionality adjusted to suit different devices, you ensure a good user experience each time.

Enhanced website speed

According to statistics, 47% of consumers expect a web page to finish loading at a maximum of two seconds. Then 40% of users leave if it takes more than three seconds to do so. For online shops, this results in loss of potential sales. With the nature of responsive sites, they load quicker than non-responsive ones. Thus, only further emphasising its importance to eCommerce businesses.

Boost in search engine rankings

Google, along with other search engines, takes into account a website’s mobile responsiveness in rankings. They crawl & index websites from a mobile-first perspective. This means search engines use your mobile website as the starting point for ranking. Why? They implemented this due to the ever-increasing rate at which Internet users prefer browsing on mobile over desktop. So if your eCommerce website is not mobile responsive, it can hurt your ranking. Moreover, given that responsive eCommerce web design allows websites to load faster, this also contributes to improving your ranking.

Higher traffic & conversion

Consequently, you increase your chances of getting more traffic if your eCommerce website has a good ranking. Furthermore, given that you have an eCommerce website, users visit it either to browse or buy. So, by giving them a smooth & painless browsing experience, you increase their chances of purchasing. In fact, it has been revealed that a responsive eCommerce website has a much higher visitor-to-customer rate than a non-responsive one.

Need a responsive eCommerce website?

Whether you’re launching your first eCommerce website or want to switch to one with a responsive design, we’re your team. With Human Pixel’s expertise in eCommerce web design & development along with a deep understanding of your business, we can create a website that’s sure to create a great experience across any device tailored to YOUR market. To start our journey, simply reach out to us to start the conversation!

About Author

The Importance of Responsive Design for eCommerce Websites

Adam WInchester

Experienced Technology Leader with Nearly Three Decades of Impactful Achievements | Driving Business Transformation with Data-Driven Solutions | CRM and ERP Expert With an extensive career spanning nearly three decades, Adam brings a wealth of experience and expertise across various industries and software applications.

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