According to CNN Money’s article from early 2014, mobile use, including tablets, has finally eclipsed standard PC usage with “mobile devices account[ing] for 55% of Internet usage” in the United States. 

What does this mean for users? 

With smart phone and tablet capabilities, users are constantly on the go and want a website that can keep up. 

What does this mean for recruiters? 

Your users are busy.  It is now more important than ever to make sure your website has an accessible and user-friendly mobile interface.  According to Google, responsive sites are the best solution. 

Why Invest In A Responsive Website?

·User Experience

Before responsive websites, companies had to have separate mobile and desktop versions of their sites. Responsive web design gives seamless user experience, on multiple devices, using the same URL and HTML code. This means a prospective candidate can navigate your webpage and job postings in a consistent fashion from wherever, whenever. 

·SEO

The staffing/recruiting industry is huge; candidates have a ton of excellent options to choose from when deciding on an agency. Getting your agency at the top of search engine results is key to getting people engaged on your site, which in turn helps fill job positions. 

With 67% of all online searches happening on Google, it’s important to take note of how this search giant ranks a website for SEO. Google has been reported as placing a high emphasis on responsive web design, going as far as calling it an “industry best practice”. 

Why? Responsive sites have the same URL and HTML, no matter how the user is accessing it. Google only has to crawl and index one site for search purposes rather than doing so separately for mobile and desktop versions. 

·Streamlined Management

It’s simple: One site is easier to manage than multiple. Having both a desktop and mobile version of the site means having multiple HTML coding, two separate SEO campaigns, and two separate URLs. Responsive web design makes it possible to manage and update your site at the same time, across all devices. 

While responsive web design may carry a slightly higher upfront cost, long-term management costs, SEO and user-experience benefits make it well worth the investment. 

Need help deciding if a responsive website is the next step in improving your recruiting website?  Wilmington Design Co. can help you develop a responsive web site.  To reach them for a consultation visit wilmingtondesignco.com

Editor's note: Tricia Cleppe, Internet Marketing Coordinator at Wilmington Design Co., a full-service graphic design firm offering a full range of graphic design, web design, mobile and internet marketing for both small and large businesses.