1. Improved Search Engine Rankings
Google has long recommended using responsive web design to support different devices and screen sizes, but the search engine took this recommendation a step further last year when they began adding a “Mobile Friendly” label to websites that used this approach when those sites appeared in a search results page on a mobile device.
While this designation was a nice to have, Google said at the time that they envisioned using mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal in the future. Well, as of April 21st 2015, that came to fruition and Google began rewarding sites that were built responsively for multi-device support. By rewarding sites that are mobile-friendly, Google is effectively penalizing those that are not, making responsive web design an important factor in SEO (search engine optimization) strategy plans!
2. Supporting the Multi-Device User
We live in a world where our sites our not only being visited by a variety of different devices and screen sizes, but the same customers are returning to our sites at different times perhaps using a different device. This means that, to best support their experience, our sites must work well regardless of which device they may be using at a given time. The same content that they have access to on one devices must be present when they return on other devices to ensure consistency in the information that they are seeking.
3. One Site to Rule Them All
It’s hard enough to keep one website updated and relevant. Trying to keep multiple sites up-to-date and consistent with messaging is even more of a challenge. This is why a responsive website is much preferred over separate websites for desktop displays and mobile phones.
4. Future Scalability
One of the best things about a responsive website is that this approach gives you the best chance to support newer devices and screens in the future. Responsive sites are fluid, scaling up or down as needed to best fit the screens being used to access the site. This means that as new devices hit the market with screen sizes unlike what we have seen before, our responsive websites will already be prepared to meet those new devices with a design and experience best suited to whatever screen sizes they throw at us.
And finally,
Every website, regardless of the site’s goals or the audience that it serves, will benefit from a display that works great across different screen sizes and on various devices.