Take stock of your websites across all devices

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Two years ago I worked with a software developer to turn the algorithms I had developed into apps.  I was clear that I wanted everything to work well across devices: from desktop or laptop, to smart phone and tablet.  He explained that the interface for the web-based app he was building for me had to be adapted accordingly.  I sensed, in this conversation, that this was going to be a challenge for him.

I have since learned that what I was looking for was this:

Responsive web design is simply this–a website design that adjusts gracefully to fit on desktop, tablet, and smartphone browsers. Ever pull up a website on your smartphone and it was just a very tiny version of what you would see on your desktop, so you zoomed way in, and then moved the website around and enlarged and shrunk it as needed to read text and click on things? That was not a responsive website. Or if it was, it left out the key point of adjusting “gracefully.” A responsive website looks good no matter whether you’re looking at it on a phone, tablet, or desktop.

Reference: Why Your Business Needs A Responsive Website Before 2014.

First, take stock of all your online presence: websites, blogs and social media.

Second, whether you have a business or brand, a community organization, or a personal blog, clarify for yourself who your target audience is and who your actual visitors, followers, connections et al. are.

Third, find out from what devices they visit, follow, and connect with you.  Mobile devices - smartphones and tablets, in particular - aren't just a growing trend, but they're also a tech presence now.

Fourth, visit all your sites on all devices you own.  Better yet, arrange for a friend, colleague or family to do the same, then get their feedback.

Next may be more challenging: Given your findings from these three steps, decide what you need to do vis-a-vis your online purpose, aims or priorities.

Having a developer reconfigure your website into responsive may be so cost-prohibitive for you right now that it's not even a consideration.  If this is the case, it's not the end of the world, as writer Joshua Steimle would lead you to believe, in the article I referenced.  It's simply reality right now, but again decide what you need to do vis-a-vis your online purpose, aims or priorities.