Back in 2015, Google announced a new update to their search algorithm, this time so that mobile-friendliness would factor into a website’s ranking. If you haven’t been introduced to Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test yet, take a moment to familiarize yourself with it.
Now, the term “mobile-friendly” is a bit broad. A few years ago, a mobile-friendly website simply would’ve meant one that could be viewed in full on a mobile device. At the time, this categorization would’ve included websites that required you to pinch, scroll left to right, or squint your eyes in order to read the very small print. Technically, those sites mobile “friendly”. According to Adobe’s 2015 The State of Content survey:
- 73% of respondents expect a website to display well on whatever device they view it from.
- 39% of people abandon a website (rather than stay or switch devices) if the site or its images take too long to load.
- 38% of people abandon a website if the layout or images on it are not attractive.
If these numbers tell us anything about what’s happening in the mind of your visitors, it’s that, in 2017, a truly mobile-friendly website is one that is
If these numbers tell us anything about what’s happening in the mind of your visitors, it’s that, in 2017, a truly mobile-friendly website is one that is responsive. Today’s business owner cannot afford to ignore the significant role mobile devices play in their business’s ability to convert customers. And, because your customers’ expectations are growing, your website needs to meet those changing demands with a responsive site design.
Respond to Your Customers’ Needs with a Responsive Site Design
If you’re not yet familiar with responsive design, here is what you need to know: Responsive designs respond to the size of the screen on which they appear. So rather than force visitors to pinch and scroll and do a lot of work in order to consume your content from a mobile device (or any small screen), you remove the need to do any work… except for them to enjoy your content, of course. It’s this adaptability in design that will be essential for your website to thrive in the mobile era. That being said, responsive design isn’t something that inherently comes with just any old WordPress theme. If you want to wow your visitors with a great-looking, high-performing website across all devices and browsers, you’ll need a high-quality WordPress theme to help.
14 Responsive WordPress Themes for the Busy Business Owner
As a business owner, your focus needs to be on running your business, not on conducting hours upon hours of research in order to find the best responsive WordPress theme for your website. Instead, take a look at the list below. These high-quality themes are affordable, easy to use, and will take all the guesswork out of creating a responsive web design.
Avada
- Drag-and-drop builder
- Pre-made design templates for different business types and needs
- Pre-made content layouts
- Enhanced mobile content control
BeTheme
- Visual composer so you can see what you’re creating/editing in real time
- Over 230 pre-designed templates for different business types
- Flexibility in navigation design
Divi
- Drag-and-drop or visual builder options
- Build your site within mobile-specific interfaces
- Large variety of widget elements and customization of those elements
- Pre-made layouts
Enfold
- Pre-made demo templates for varying business needs
- Easy setup right out of the box
- Pre-defined content takes the guesswork out of what your site needs
H-Code
- Pre-built templates meant for e-commerce and other sales-focused e-businesses
- Retina-ready images
- Optimized for SEO
- 6 months of free support
Jupiter
- Visual composer tool
- Extensive variety of design choices
- Retina ready
- Built-in caching and image optimization for faster load times
Karen
- Free to use
- Minimal design
- Great for bloggers and photographers
Newspaper
- Templates for all types of news-related or content-heavy websites
- Optimized for SEO
- Integrates with e-commerce and monetization plugins
Scalia
- Drag-and-drop builder
- Pre-made templates for page design, home page, and headers
- Use out of the box or customize as many elements as you want
TheGem
- Visual composer tool
- Pre-made concepts for a mix of business types
- Great for freelancers and independent business owners looking to showcase their services in a creative way
- SEO friendly
Total
- Drag-and-drop building blocks
- Edit either from the front-end (within the live design) or the back-end (in WordPress)
- Comes with premium plugins that businesses need (sliders, testimonials, galleries, etc.)
Uncode
- Visual composer tool
- Flexible layout, design, and dynamic options
- Responsive, “pixel perfect” images
Uplift
- Drag-and-drop builder
- Optimized for search
- Pre-built templates for layout, page design, headers, blogs, portfolios, and navigation
You
- Pre-built templates with a focus on blogs, portfolio sites, and e-commerce
- Supports fast dynamic elements
- 3D page design options
Summary
If your customers are looking for you online (which they are), then you need to be prepared with a responsive web design. Your audience won’t accept any excuses for a website that doesn’t work across their preferred device or platform, and neither should you. Even the busiest of business owners can have a responsive website up and running in little time and with little effort with the help of one of these responsive WordPress themes.
