Responsive web design “responds” to the needs of the user by identifying the device type and screen size. The result is readability and navigability optimized specifically for a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop and a consistency of experience across devices. Home buyers can surf responsive sites from home or on the road.
How is Responsive Design Different?
Unlike a pre-2013 “fixed” website structured in pixels, responsive sites are designed with fluid grids. Instead of creating specific-size elements, a web designer specifies the sizes of elements relative to other elements. In terms of structure, it’s about proportionality.
Responsive design supports a variety of technological developments that have arisen with multi-platform internet access. It’s versatile enough to accommodate navigation through a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch-screen. It’s flexible enough to load graphics quickly, regardless of download speed, and to support different font sizes, line heights, and photo sizes (as needed for each user). And it’s powerful enough to use in place of mobile apps, so you don’t need to invest in an app for every type of device.
User Statistics
User statistics make a compelling case for making responsive website design priority #1 for all home builders who haven’t yet made the necessary transition. Consider the facts:
- In 2015, mobile users began to outnumber desktop users, and the numbers continue to diverge (Morgan Stanley Research)
- For 2017, the number of mobile phone users is projected to reach 4.77 billion (Statista)
- Mobile devices now drive 56 percent of web traffic (Similarweb)
- Users spend 2.8 hours a day with digital media on mobile devices (eMarketer)
Clearly, accommodating mobile users is being responsive to the demands of the market. But how does responsive design meet the needs of individual consumers and your business?
Responsive Design is Google-Recommended
Google’s algorithms constantly change, but Google’s intent remains the same—to direct consumers to websites offering the best possible user experience. Because more than 60 percent of searches come from mobile devices, a good user experience must include no horizontal scrolling, easily readable text, and all of the additional features of responsive design, in addition to relevant content. So an investment in responsive design is also an investment in search engine optimization (SEO).
Better Sites Capture More Leads
Which experience generates more leads? A compromised, bland experience or one that is individualized and dynamic, that gets users engaged and interested in exploring. Of course, it’s the latter—the one that proves your company values exceeding customer expectations. Responsive design supports all of the elements the best home builders use to generate leads and convert them to sales: video, high quality images, virtual tours, and connectivity with social media.
ROI Increases as Content Management Needs Decrease
If you’re managing a main site and a mobile version, your staff is spending twice the necessary time on content management. Hours of time that could be spent on other business critical projects are continually wasted. With a responsive site, your business has one site to manage and an efficient process for uploading content to one enterprise content management system.
The BDX Solution
Content converts browsers to buyers on builders’ sites, so the solution cannot be to maintain different sites for desktops, tablets, and smartphones. This was a stopgap solution used by some builders to address the surge in mobile access. It was implemented at the expense of wasted man hours and poor user experiences.
The solution is one interface that adapts to all devices, platforms, screen ratios, and browsers, to reach more home buyers. BDX develops responsive sites for builders, optimized to cleanly display the information buyers want to see. Thumb-friendly navigation buttons enable easy browsing on touch screens, click-through functionality eliminates the need to type, and images are scaled to the size of the viewing device. Optimized content delivers informed and enthusiastic visitors to your communities, who are primed to buy.
Think of a BDX responsive website as one that anticipates your prospects every need as well as your best-trained salespeople. The result is a seamless handoff from your site to sales.
