What is responsive web design and why does it matter?
In recent years, mobile responsive design has gone from being a fringe website optimization technique to a mainstream best practice. Simply put, responsive design is when a website can automatically adapt its layout and content to fit the screen size of the device it is being presented on. Comprehensive responsive design can automatically adapt and fit into the most common screen sizes in use today, including desktop monitors, laptops, tablets and mobile (smart) phones.
Responsive design ensures that the view your users get is optimized to give the best display of your site’s contents. This approach helps deliver the content you have presented on a site to the audience in the manner they want it, and within the medium and context they are using.
Why mobile responsiveness matters (statistics)
- Eighty-five percent of adult users say the design of a mobile device website should be better than, if not as good as, a desktop computer’s design.
- Fifty-seven percent of internet users stated they would not recommend businesses with poor website design.
- Ninety-one percent of small businesses do not have a responsive website.
- Eighty-eight percent of consumers on online platforms will not return to a site if they have a bad experience with it.
- Eighty-one percent of Americans owned smartphones as of 2019. This statistic is indicative of the number of users who access sites with their mobile devices.
Key elements of a responsive web design
As these statistics and many others show, designing a responsive website should be a top priority for any person and business. Whether you decide to partner with a reputable web design agency or tackle this challenge in-house, here are some key elements you should factor in:
- Compatibility. When designing a responsive website, you should ensure that your site is accessible on other platforms where several users frequent. You must always consider the accessibility and compatibility of the other devices.
- Whitespace. It is important to provide the readers and users of a page with a comfortable reading experience. You can implement this by rethinking your site’s font size, character and line spacing, and effective use of padding and margins.
- Consistency. Developing a responsive site demands that you present consistent information to the users, even if they are using different devices. The user experience is supposed to be seamless to avoid cases of pages being abandoned and high bounce rates.
- Intuitiveness. The users of websites are always looking for simple ways to retrieve or access specific information. A responsive design should be able to integrate its menus to increase the ease of navigation on the site.
- Image optimization. Images take a lot of time to load for viewing, and this is the factor to consider during optimization. Most of the users will be accessing the sites using slower devices, so consider optimizing the images to load faster.
Benefits of responsive web design
Creating responsive websites is a key element in digital marketing today as more users embrace digital platforms. Some of the benefits of embracing and creating responsive web design include:
1. Search engine optimization (SEO) and rankings
Ask any SEO company and they’ll tell you that creating websites with responsive designs can help your business with SEO as the responsive sites are more likely to rank higher in Google. Optimization of search results will always give you an edge in gaining a competitive advantage. The key benefit of ranking high is that more users can find your services much faster.
2. Enhanced user experience (UI/UX)
There are no better success rates than those brought by providing services that are user-oriented, leading to an enhanced experience. Creating responsive websites that increase user experience is one of the main aims of SEO.
A fast site implements excellent picture quality and resolution and bears interactive capabilities which give it a professional outlook. Speed and responsiveness always lead to positive impressions on the users.
3. Cost-effectiveness
Conducting business in a manner that is cost-effective yet effective is the aim of every business. Yet implementing different mobile and non-mobile sites can prove to be costly for a business.
A responsive web design eliminates the need to have separate sites for different devices, which reduces the cost implication of having a website. A responsive site’s ability to adapt to the screen size of the device with optimized results ensures that you do not compromise on quality.
4. Flexibility and ease of management
Maintaining a responsive web design is much easier than those that are device-specific. It allows you to make changes much faster and easier. The flexibility reduces the implications of changes and updates made on the sites as downtime for maintenance is considerably reduced.
Responsiveness in websites also makes it easier for you to manage the site as you can make the changes independently without the need to hire a designer. Additionally, a responsive site embeds marketing elements into your site, helping to link and redirect users to your site.
5. Increased conversion rates and sales
Responsive websites lead to higher conversion rates, resulting in more sales. Functionality, consistency and optimized performance create a lasting impression of quality and trust on the part of the customer.
A website that looks sleek, clean and feels professional is more likely to attract sales than any other site since it instills confidence in the customer to shop with you. Responsive web designs allow users to enjoy a digital brand experience. This feature also allows them to browse through your website and make purchases easily.
Are you ready to make your website responsive?
Embracing responsive website design is the only way to become competitive in digital marketing and SEO today. The technological shift is inevitable especially because it is the users who are driving it.
If you’d like to begin implementing these changes to your site, reach out to our web design team at Brown Bag Marketing. We would be happy to work with you on optimizing your website and giving your visitors the best experience possible—no matter what device they’re using.