Going Responsive-- Do You Still Need a Contact Page?

There have been many trends in web design and layout that have come and gone… but then there are the improvements that will not fade… the changes that truly do require an overhaul of your website even if it was just developed a year ago!

Case in point: Responsive Design. The cause for this uproar in website redevelopment is the simple and honest truth that personal devices (smartphones and tablets) are used to browse the web more than laptop or desktop computers.

If you don’t want to say that personal devices will ultimately replace desktop or laptop computers, fine. Don’t say it. But you still have to accept the fact that enough people have their noses glued to their phones that your website should be mobile device friendly. Right?

More importantly, your website should be mobile device user friendly. Yes, that’s different. A few tweaks in code will make sure your menus are reformatted so your website shows up just fine on a mobile device… but that doesn’t mean it won’t still frustrate a user.

It’s important because if you’re going to redevelop your website, shouldn’t you make sure it doesn’t have to be “improved” again in the very near future? Make it a real improvement and redesign your website now, from the ground up, so personal users don’t have to wait or click around to find the information they are looking for.

This is why the one-page layout is taking over for startups and new site launches. Simplicity is the new king and what could be simpler than all the information your audience needs, given as bluntly as possible, right there on one page.

Even regular computer users have a shorter attention span and less patience—something about the internet makes 10 seconds feel like forever—so it’s pretty safe to say that no matter what you might want to cut out some of the unnecessary steps.

Especially the “Contact” page.

If you’re married to it, fine. Leave it. But the Contact page is practically unnecessary because—if you’re smart—you’ll put a Contact form and all contact information in a conveniently consistent location on all pages. If somebody wants to contact you… and isn’t that what you want… it should be as easy as possible to do so.

Eliminate that unnecessary step. It’s hurting you more than it’s helping you.