Being a responsive web design agency, we know the importance of adding content on the web. But in app-centric world, it’s often forgotten how important content on the web really is. With the CMU Today project completed, I reflected on the benefits a responsive online magazine provides. Those benefits are directly related to what the web is for — a medium for sharing information. Here are three things you gain by making your site online and responsive.

1. Increase Social Reach – “Going viral” is every marketers dream. Right now, it’s easier than ever on the web. We live in a time of social networks, emails, and texts. Every article on CMU Today can be instantly and easily shared by its readers. Social shares allow you to tap into your readers’ personal networks. This lead to more people seeing the article and more shares by these people. Your article may not be the next viral cat video YouTube hit. But linkable content and social sharing can end up doubling your audience.

2. Gain New Audiences – While social reach provides viral potential, that can be limited to your readers’ networks. Searchable content on the web can help you reach new audiences — audiences that you never expected to have. With content on the web, it can be found through searches on Google or Bing. This helps lead people outside of their audience network reach the site. You can potentially convert a future reader just by having content that can be found using a search.

3. Access to Content, Anywhere – As a consumer of content, this is my personal favorite. Responsive web content lets readers access the content wherever we are on whatever device is at hand. You can read it on your computer at work, on your phone in line at the grocery store, or on your couch with a tablet. The constant traveler can even add the articles to an app like Pocket and read offline.

The biggest benefit of the web is that these three points are linked. When your content is easier to access, more people will read it. Higher number of readers makes social shares more likely. Articles that are popular on a social medium lead to more links to the site, which in turn improves search rankings. Higher search rankings improve the chances of being found by unlikely audiences. New audience means more readers. And the cycle continues. This ability to connect is difficult to accomplish with print or app based content.

Are you interested in how you can leverage these three points to improve the reach of your magazine or publication? Check out the responsive web design services provided by Elliance.