There was a time when marketing a small business didn't require any sort of website at all. However, today, websites and social media integration's should be integrated. Without these pages, businesses trying to compete in many industries, would not be able to gain any sort of leverage. The simplest reason why you need a website, is that it’s the standard amidst online marketing. Without a site, what would you promote? Taking a step forward in regards to standards, is in regards to a responsive site, not just a static web page, and it revolves around mobile compatibility. There are many reasons why small companies should have a good responsive page in place, and it starts with meeting people where they are.
The Mobile Push
Millions upon millions of people are surfing the web right now, on the go. Fewer and fewer people are using broadband connections at home. They are using their smartphones, tablets, and other connected devices. The mobile push is not something that is going away, it’s standard, and every single time you hear about a new phone coming out, people line up to pick it up. If the website you publish doesn't look good within the framework of a smartphone or tablet, then you’re going to get left out.
Faster Loading
Aside from the “look and feel” of a website, you’ll have to factor in loading times. If a site doesn’t load well within the data push of 3G or 4GLTE, then a person will end up leaving. People today aren’t waiting around like they did in 1999. There was a time where people would invest minutes into loading a website, because that’s what was standard. Today, people have short attention spans, and are not going to sit around and watch your page slowly crawl through their device. It has to load faster, and responsive websites do just that.
Mobile Is Not The Future (it’s the present)
People often assume that the wave of the future is digital, mobile devices. Mobile internet and data is here, and it’s the standard amidst millions of different industries. This includes mobile applications that are free, or even “paid”. Look at either the Apple (iTunes) app store or the Google Play store, and you will find that there are millions of apps that are streamlined versions of larger websites, to help create even more market share. To assume that “mobile” is the future is wrong, because it’s right here, right now.
The aforementioned reasons are just a few things that you should consider when building a website. Small businesses need to be responsive, fast loading, and mobile compatible. Otherwise, the company will be left behind in nearly any niche today.