Mobile usage reached a landmark milestone in 2014: internet access via smartphone and tablet surpassed PC access for the very first time in history. And this is just the beginning of the mobile era. More than half of American adults own smartphones, and that number is expected to continue to rise. These statistics clearly suggest the following conclusion: if your job board strategies don’t include responsive design, you’re limiting client satisfaction, missing out on potential revenue and putting the future of your job board at risk.

SEE ALSO: Should You Build a Responsive Site or a Native Mobile App?

Why Do You Need Responsive Design?

Instant gratification is a hallmark of modern society; today’s consumers know what they want and when they want it. Research indicates that lack of a mobile optimized website is equivalent to closing your business one day out of every week. In fact, the majority of smartphone users are unwilling to return to a website that didn’t load properly via mobile device, and 57 percent will not recommend a business that lacks responsive design.

Now consider these statistics when it comes to your job board: 43 percent of job hunters report having used mobile during the job hunt while 37 percent of job seekers expect job boards to be mobile optimized. Failure to meet these expectations and deliver a positive experience can be detrimental to your business. Alternatively, embracing responsive design can give your company a leading edge with job searchers.

Appeal to Advertisers

But it’s not just about making your job site attractive to consumers through fast, accessible and user-friendly performance. As print advertising budgets decline and more and more companies are investing in mobile advertising, this presents a major opportunity for today’s websites. However, success relies on one overriding factor: traffic.

Advertising opportunities abound when it comes to job boards, so mobile is a particularly important strategy. After all, advertisers are interested in maximizing visibility. By adopting mobile strategies which ensure that ads are not only seen, but that they reach the largest potential audience, you make yourself a valuable partner for advertisers. Conversely, failure to embrace mobile optimized design may result in closed doors.

SEO Success

Responsive design benefits your bottom line in a number of other ways. From reducing bounce rates to promoting user engagement, the best job sites appeal to consumer demand for responsive web design. In terms of SEO visibility you can’t go wrong with mobile design — particularly when you factor in the likelihood that future Google algorithms will reward mobile-optimized sites.

If you’ve been holding out on going mobile due to uncertainty or cost, know that scrimping on responsive design in the short run can cost you money in the long run. Job searchers can’t afford to have anything less than the best access to information, and the best job boards provide exactly that: enhanced user experiences through responsive design as well as increased buy-in with advertisers for critical advertising dollars.