Go
RESPONSIVE Why Your Website Should Adapt
Responsive Design in a Nutshell
End users and prospective students are using every kind of internetconnected device imaginable to get the information they want.
Responsive is a website design methodology for delivering a consistent website experience, regardless of the device a prospective student uses, be it an iPhone, Kindle Fire or a PC.
A Design with Flexibility
Responsive design is less about the layout and more about the collection of elements that form a layout.
7 Reasons for a Responsive Design
1.
Prospective students demand it
2.
Prospective students will go elsewhere
3.
Google rewards you
4.
Google recommends it
5.
Mobile will continue to dominate search
6.
You only have to design one version of your site
7.
It’s easier to manage
BONUS! Montreat College goes responsive!
1
Prospective Students Demand It
45% of adults ages 18-29 access websites using a phone 10.3% of all internet browsing is done on smartphones and tablets 47% of prospective students visit a school’s website on a mobile device
2
Prospective Students Will Go Elsewhere
61% of visitors will go back to their search results to find a site that is easily readable on their device.
3
Google Will Reward You Over Time
“To improve the search experience for smartphone users and address their pain points, we plan to roll out several ranking changes in the near future that address sites that are misconfigured for smartphone users.� Yoshikiyo Kato, on behalf of Mobile Search team, and Pierre Far, Webmaster Trends Analyst in a June 11, 2013 Google blog post
4
Google Recommends It
When Google speaks, marketers listen. And though Google’s recommendation below is lukewarm, it’s lukewarm because Google tries their best to not sway design or content. “ We recommend using responsive web design because it has many good aspects.”
5
Mobile Will Continue to Dominate Search
Mobile traffic will surpass desktop traffic in 2014. Responsive design is not a solution for “someday.� Users expect your website to be responsive at this very moment.
6
You Only Have to Design a Site Once
Responsive is web design’s answer to “work smarter, not harder.” Instead of designing by device and having to make multiple revisions when you change content or images, future-proof your website with responsive design. Users – and your website support staff – will thank you.
7
It’s Easier to Manage The Benefits Trio
easy
Content changes are made only once
easy
Users share and encounter the right version of your website every time
easy
All backlinks are driven to your main site, instead of devicespecific versions of your site
Montreat College Goes Responsive We partnered with Montreat following a major rebrand, and the new website they were about to launch wasn’t responsive. We knew this would be a pain point for prospective students because 84% of users take further non-mobile action.
The Results Mobile Traffic BEFORE
AFTER
RESPONSIVE
RESPONSIVE
17.5%
22.4%
Traffic-to-Inquiry Conversion BEFORE
AFTER
RESPONSIVE
RESPONSIVE
1.5%
2%
Calculating the Value of Responsive Design
It’s one thing to talk about responsive design in terms of an industry trend. It’s another and better thing to talk about responsive design as it applies to your institution.
How many visitors accessed your website using a smartphone or tablet? The answer to this question can be found in your site’s Google Analytics account.
Getting to Know Your Users with Google Analytics
1. Click on “Audience” 2. Click “Mobile” and then “Overview” 3. M ultiply the number of mobile and tablet visitors by .61% 4. M ultiply this number first by .05% and second by .07% 5. You now have an approximate range for the number of students a non-responsive site turns away Extra Credit How has mobile traffic changed over time? 1. On the same screen as the previous steps, click the pie chart button 2. Click on the date range drop-down located at the top right-hand side of the screen 3. C lick the “Compare to:” field and enter a date range for a comparison
We Design Responsively
Not all web designers are created equal. In addition to designing websites responsively, we design with a mobilefirst strategy to ensure optimal load times across the board. 85% of mobile users expect the same load times from a mobile site as a desktop site. Other Highlights Include: • Our websites are designed conversion specifically within education marketing space
for the
• We offer all in-house development with an internal SEO and quality assurance team • Ad Age ranked us the 4th-largest search engine marketing agency in the United States
Designing for the Future
What’s next for your institution’s website? Contact us to learn how we can turn your website into your most valuable marketing tool.
913.254.6000
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marketing@plattform.com
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15500 W. 113th Street, Suite 200. Lenexa, KS 66219
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PlattForm.com