As we approach 2013, we are seeing a rapid development in all industries, especially technology. We are seeing new social networks coming out of the woodworks and old ones failing to keep up with the present. We are seeing a variety of iPads and Tablets being brought out by the likes of Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, Amazon and Google, all showing what they have to offer.
Because of the Smartphone and Tablet/iPad demand, we are seeing more people view and purchase from websites on these said devices than ever before. Ebay have reported that around 50% of their sales have been closed on Mobile and Fab.com with 56% from Mobile and apps. John Lewis reported a rise in traffic from 28% to 35% on tablets between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Other outlets have reported that at least 20% of their customers are purchasing on Tablets. I think it is time to face the facts and look at ways to make the customer acquisition journey as smooth as possible on these devices, and the best way to do this, is to make your website Responsive.
Over the past year, Responsive design has become a hot topic in the web design community. In its simplest form, a Responsive design allows you to view a website on your smartphone or tablet/iPad as you would on your desktop. As you can see in the images below, the website will change according to the screen it is being viewed on. This is down to the handy work of Ethan Marcotte. After meeting with various clients asking for an iPhone website, the web designer & developer spent a lot of time working with BostonGlobe.com to build the first ever responsive website.
Something that was once so bespoke that only one man could build it, has now gone global. Not only is it being used by millions of websites all over the world, you can now use it as a theme inside of WordPress.
The main positive for a Responsive Theme is how practical it is. Screen sizes and resolutions are widening every day, and creating a different version of a website for each device is by no means a practical way forward. A Responsive theme also makes the user journey smoother and will work in your favour when acquiring a customer.
At Gloople, we have seen the advantages of using Responsive Theme’s for all of the online stores we have built and it has proved a success. If you are using wordpress, check out their responsive themes here.
Are you ready to go #Responsive?
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