Just how attached are consumersto their smartphones? A 2012 study by IDC Research reported that72% of all smartphone users say their devices are within an arm'sreach for at least 23 hours a day. That's about 89 million adultsmaintaining a nearly constant connection. And when we observe kidsunder 18, it's even more obvious that mobile is engrained in ourculture.

That cultural shift shows up everywhere:

• 79% of all smartphone users reach for their phone within 15minutes of waking up, according to the same 2012 IDC Researchstudy.

• A November 2013 study by Deloitte says nearly seven out of 10smartphone and tablet users were expected to use their devices toresearch, shop and buy online during this past holiday shoppingseason—a total of about 95 million users.

• Within the financial services industry, smartphones are now themost common starting point for banking activity, according to a2012 multi-screen user behavior study by Google & Ipsos.

Day after day, new studies confirm that mobile is winning inboth convenience and experience. Not surprisingly, as the mobileculture grows and devices become more powerful, consumers expectbetter online experiences. That's exactly why responsive design—away to optimize websites for literally any device—is becoming sucha key component to effective online marketing.

Responsive design works by taking cues from the user's device.It looks at things like screen resolution and browser width andautomatically adapts content on the fly. It also adds morefunctionality, features and convenience (like click-to-call) whenit makes sense. The result is a more enjoyable experience thatdeeply engages the audience.

Of course, the use of desktops and laptops isn't dead, and wecan't abandon those more traditional users. That's where responsivedesign shines: We can look at all those different devices,operating systems and screens and realize each one must offer anexperience every bit as good as any other.

For the first time, with Google's updated search algorithmimplemented in June 2013, responsive sites now see higher searchrankings while non-responsive sites' rankings drop. Yahoo and Binghave followed suit. And anecdotally, you've probably noticed theseimprovements yourself as most popular websites now render verynicely on mobile devices.

With such a massive mobile user base, credit unions and relatedorganizations not only need to be ready for the sheer number ofusers, but also the shifting psychology of how attached they are.As Lookout reports in its 2013 Mobile Market Study, “Even the verythought of being without your mobile device due to no signal, adead battery, or losing or forgetting it evokes emotions that rangefrom concern to outright panic.”

That's a strong connection, and we need to understand andaccommodate it.

To make the shift, think about questions that could serve as thebasis for your strategy: What percentage of your current sitetraffic comes from mobile? How has it changed in the last year? Howmany of your members plan to switch to a smartphone or tablet ifthey haven't already? How many of them are multi-screen users? Whatsites—financial services, retail or otherwise—do they like to visitwith a smartphone?

Answers to these questions ultimately lead to one more: Isn'tthe adaptation of responsive design just another instance of themember-centric mission we've all lived from the beginning?

In that sense, the key to success is actually old advice: Learnmore about your members, respond to what they expect and understandhow their mindsets are continually changing. With this approach,you not only drive mobile strategies for the future, you stayperfectly aligned with what the credit union movement is allabout.

Susan Sachatello is senior vice president of TruStage.She can be reached at [email protected].