The original iPhone was released on June 29th, 2007. Although the iPhone was far from being the first mobile device, it did change the mobile landscape forever. Prior to the iPhone, using the Internet away from a desktop or laptop was limited to watered-down webpages that rendered as text. But because the iPhone included a full online browsing experience through Safari, it kicked off an explosion in the mobile web.

Mobile’s Evolution Over the Last 9 Years

While the mobile web as we know it today is less than a decade old, it’s already gone through several evolutions. The first was the app gold rush. In addition to the Safari browser, Apple also launched the idea of apps with their device. This led to developers and businesses rushing to create apps. However, it became clear that most people don’t want to use a dedicated app for every business they’re interested in. This is supported by recent research which shows that most people use less than a half dozen apps on a regular basis.

Since it doesn’t make sense for most small to medium businesses to have a dedicated app, there was also a time during the last nine years when the focus was on having a separate mobile website. The reason that the trend has come and gone is there were several major problems. Not only did it create an often frustrating experience for website visitors, but it also required businesses to manage two different websites.

Why Responsive Design is The Best Solution for Mobile

Multiple studies have confirmed that mobile is now the most common way that people of all ages search online and visit websites. So even though it doesn’t make sense for most businesses to have an app or separate mobile version of their website, having an optimized mobile presence is a MUST!

The option that has emerged as the best mobile solution for businesses is responsive website design. With this approach, a website will automatically resize to a screen of any size. That means a site will load quickly, look great, and offer full functionality on any mobile device, tablet, or standard computer. And unlike the previous approach of having two versions of a website, responsive design is done through one set of code, which makes it very easy to manage.

How do you know if your current website has an optimized responsive design and is fully mobile-friendly? The best way is to use Google’s free mobile-friendly test tool.

What If You Don’t Pass the Mobile-Friendly Test?

If you don’t pass Google’s test, it almost guarantees that your site isn’t ranking as well as it should for mobile searches. It also means that visitors who do come to your site via a mobile device are more likely to abandon it due to a less-than-optimal experience.

Since those issues mean your business is missing out on potential revenue every day, you need to fix them as soon as possible. That’s where Web Strategy Plus can help. With our responsive web design services, we can fully update your site to ensure it’s completely mobile-friendly.

To get your site’s mobile problem solved as soon as possible, contact us now for a free consultation and quote!

Need help with your Web Strategy? We offer a free instant web strategy score. You may also request a consultation and live website review to help you identify the exact areas of your marketing plan that need improvement. Web Strategy Plus provides a “one-stop-shop” full-service digital marketing agency where all of your marketing efforts are tied together to drive more leads to your business. We proudly serve local businesses and franchise networks of all types worldwide. Whether you require a professional website or need help promoting it, we can help you with it all. Our main goal is to provide cost-effective web strategies that drive results. You may also Request a Quote. If you need to know more about our website development and website designing services, you can reach us at 1-877-224-0478. You may also schedule an appointment to talk to us when it is most convenient for you!

Michelle Hummel is CEO of Web Strategy Plus a full-service digital marketing agency focused on Franchise Marketing. She was recently nominated for the Woman-Owned Business of the Year! She’s a passionate Social Media Trainer with 15+ years of successful online business development, sales, and marketing experience. She also holds a valuable Internet Marketing Degree however with the ever-changing world of web marketing she strives to learn something new every day.

She travels Nationwide visiting her 22 Social Media Enthusiasts Chapters she developed Nationwide delivering in-depth social media training. She also provides Social Media Certifications through founding Web Media University. A current contributing editor to The Franchise Dictionary Magazine and she has written 3 books in her series called, “The Social Media Magnet: Everything You Need to Know to Attract Customers with Social Media”, where she shares her best-kept secrets to success. She also specializes in helping Franchisors and Franchisees develop an integrated web marketing program to drive leads. She’s available for interviews via email, telephone, Skype video, news segments on location and more. Just let her know how she can help!