Responsive Web Design in the Health Sector: How Important Is It?

The Internet is a fast-paced atmosphere and chances are, if you’re in the medical field, you have realized this over the years. With the fast growth of smartphones, more and more Internet users are now surfing the web on a screen smaller than the palm of their hand. This is going to include your patients and potential new customers that are searching for medical professionals in their area or maybe just trying to schedule an appointment or call the office from their smartphone. This is one of the reasons its important for healthcare professionals that are looking for medical website design to engage with a professional designer that specializes in their field.

If they come across a website on their phone that isn’t mobile-friendly, then there’s a good chance they will skip to the next one.

In order to accommodate these visitors, it’s important your website takes care of mobile devices with something known as “responsive web design.”

What is Responsive Web Design?

The term “responsive web design” is a coined phrase that simply means a website is going to respond correctly when displayed on a mobile device. With this design, the user won’t be forced to scroll or pinch their screen to view the fonts or pictures your website may have to offer. By using a single code base, websites no longer have to worry about creating a second website that caters to the mobile crowd.

The Benefits of Responsive Web Design

1. Content Moves Freely

If you own a smartphone and have been to a website that isn’t mobile, then there’s a good chance you had to pinch the screen, squint your eyes and scroll to the content that you had to read. Of course, this probably took up more time that you planned on using. A good responsive design will make sure the content and images are fluid with the screen, making it extremely easy for the user to view your content without getting frustrated.

2. Accommodate the “Busy” Crowd

Today, people are on the go 24 hours a day. Since they can’t bring their laptops or tablets wherever they go, there’s a good chance their going to do their Internet surfing on the phone. So for example, if someone was looking for an urgent care center in their area on their phone, a potential customer would love it if they could view your hours, make a quick appointment and get the information they need with a mobile-friendly interface.

3. No Need for Separate Websites

In the past, if you wanted a mobile website, you needed a separate website which caused a design and budget disaster. Today, there’s no need to design two websites that basically have the same content. For example, if your website runs on the WordPress platform, there are thousands of themes that are already mobile-friendly.

4. The Future

Today, more than 55 percent of adults use their cell phones to go online, and close to 30 percent of these adults use their phone as their primary Internet source. With that being said, these numbers won’t stop growing. If you care about the growth of your online presence, your website should be keeping up with the times.

As more and more people head to their phones for Internet access, it’s so important that you grow with them. If your business doesn’t grasp the concept of a responsive web design, you risk losing a lot of visitors over time. Since building a website isn’t for everyone, consider a specialty website design company to help turn your site into a simple, easy-to-use mobile-friendly website.