By: Corey Sizemore, Web Developer
Living in the digital age, we all know how important a website is to a business’s reach and overall success. However, simply having a website presence isn’t enough.
Did you know that mobile internet usage in the United States has surpassed desktop internet usage? Over 80% of the US adult population owns a smartphone and 75.1% of internet users in the United States access the internet via mobile. It’s now more important than ever to know whether or not your website is responsive to usage on multiple devices.
What is a responsive website?
The goal of a responsive website is to have the site be not only accessible, but optimized for viewing on various devices, whether that be on a desktop, smart phone, iPad, or even a smart watch. It’s important that your patients all have a seamless experience when visiting your site, no matter what device they use to access it. A responsive website is composed of two elements, the structure of the site and the language used to construct it. The way that the site is coded plays a factor in how your website is ranked on search engines.
How is a website ranked?
Search engines like Google will pull data from your website and give you a ranking in their search results. Ensuring you receive a high ranking is key in building an effective online presence and attracting new patients to your practice. You can improve your ranking in two ways:
On-page Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – Also known as organic SEO, this is based on the structure, characteristics and page content of your website. Once your website is built properly with robust, up-to-date content and is fully responsive, your on-page SEO will begin to provide maximum benefits. Monthly content updates will ensure your on-page SEO continues to deliver optimal performance.
Off-page Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – Also known as paid SEO, these are steps you can take to improve your page rank on various search engines. An example of this is Google Adwords, where you choose key terms and phrases customers are searching for, and you pay each time this generates in a click to your website. This can be a very effective way to gain new patients.
Is Your Website Driving Away Potential Patients?
A non-responsive website could end up hurting your business. 50% of mobile users will abandon a website that takes longer than 10 seconds to load, and 60% of those won’t return to that website again in the future. 57% of mobile users said they would not recommend a business that had a poorly designed mobile site. In order to prevent driving away potential patients, it is critical to ensure that your website is responsive and compatible for usage on multiple devices.
Are your current and potential patients able to find you online?
If you have a PECAA-designed website, great news! I specialize in building responsive websites that result in advanced on-page SEO optimization. If you’re interested in improving your page rank on search engines, contact me for ideas. If you aren’t using a PECAA website, request a free website assessment today.
References:
http://www.socialmediatoday.com/marketing/8-mobile-marketing-stats-help-you-plan-2016
https://hostingfacts.com/internet-facts-stats-2016/
