A responsive website design is essential in today’s digital world. Users visiting your site from desktop, mobile, and tablet devices should all have a smooth experience and access your information easily. In this guide, we discuss exactly what responsive design is and why it matters for your business.
What is responsive website design?
Responsive website design means that a website scales and changes its layout based on the viewer’s screen size. For example, a responsive website will look different on mobile devices compared to a larger desktop or laptop.
One of the largest changes to happen to a website when the screen size changes is the layout. Your page needs to make sense to the user, while also looking visually appealing on large landscape devices like desktops, small portrait screens on mobiles, and devices in between like iPads and tablets.
When using responsive design, columns and rows are rearranged to fit the screen size they are viewed on. On a non-responsive website, users on mobile devices may need to zoom and pan to view the content on the page. This is not only inconvenient but it can be disruptive and frustrating to the user.
Why does responsive website design matter?
Responsive website design can help you reach new audiences, provide a seamless user experience, and convert visitors into customers.
Mobile and tablet friendliness
With over 55% of website traffic coming from mobile devices, you should make sure your website looks good, makes sense, and is easy to navigate on smaller devices.
Reach new audiences
A responsive website design enables you to reach new audiences, for example in areas or communities where people primarily access the internet using mobile devices. By making sure your website is responsive and accessible on all device sizes, you can attract and retain a larger user base.
Scaled-down windows
For any reason, your user may not be viewing your website using the entire screen size. People use scaled-down windows for a number of reasons including copying or comparing information and multitasking. You should make sure your website responds to scaled-down windows and looks good no matter the window size.
Improve SEO
Search engines favor responsive websites because they provide a better user experience. A responsive website can positively affect your search engine rankings on platforms like Google and Bing, leading to increased traffic and conversions to your website.
Cost-effectiveness
Managing one responsive website is significantly cheaper than running different versions of the same website for different device sizes. When using responsive website design, you only need to manage and edit one site, which helps to reduce your website maintenance time and/or costs and streamline your business.
Adjust design to screen sizes
Today, there are thousands of laptops and PCs on the market, all with varying screen sizes. To ensure your website is easy to use and visually appealing on every screen size, you should make sure your website is responsive, and that your user can easily navigate your website on the smallest laptop or the largest PC screen.
Making your website responsive is a great way to future-proof your website for new device releases and new screen size options.
Summary
A responsive website design is essential for businesses for a variety of reasons.
- Mobile and tablet friendliness
- Reach new audiences
- Scaled-down windows
- Improve SEO
- Cost effectiveness
- Adjust design to screen sizes
Looking for a responsive website design?
If you are looking for a responsive website design, get in touch with Ocean Pixel Studios today for a free consultation. We create modern websites that are stunning and accessible on all screen sizes, helping you convert visitors into customers.
