Responsive Web Design
Responsive web design is the newest online craze.
Nearly every new client of ours asks us if we can build them a responsive website, and we don’t blame them. With the sheer number of different media that can access the internet in today’s society, it is important to have a website that can be accessed by users on their computers, phones and iPad alike.
A large chunk of traffic is generated through hand held devices and if a business or website owner does not have a site that is compatible with all media, then they will be losing out on business.
What is responsive web design?
A website that has been built using responsive web design will be able to operate on any device that can access the internet, without losing its form and becoming unusable.
Previously, the only way to enable mobile access to a site was to create a specific mobile site; this technique has merit, but responsive web design is a visually appealing alternative.
Adaptable To the Device
Web designers are currently plagued by the constant invention of new mobile devices. Every year new technology is created that is no longer compatible with their previous work. Responsive web design solves this problem by creating a malleable page format that simply conforms to the screen size of any new device. This way designers don’t have to constantly go back and make changes to their mobile sites because responsive websites can do the adaptation themselves.
One feature of responsive web design is that it works across all platforms, while separate mobile sites need to be tweaked for different devices. A mobile site will not perform the same way in Google chrome as it will in Safari, and for novice developers this can be troublesome to deal with.
However, if you can create user friendly mobile sites, they will often be more aesthetically pleasing because they won’t be adapting their screen size.
So, How Does Responsive Web Design Work?
The way that responsive web design works, is the screen literally grows and shrinks depending on the screen it is being used on. This is fantastic technology because the website literally knows what it is being viewed on, and behaved accordingly.
The drawback to a responsive website is that sometimes a website might expand or shrink in a way that doesn’t line up with your vision for your website.
Who Needs Responsive Web Site Design?
When thinking about adding a responsive design to a site that currently doesn’t support mobile devices, or is using a mobile site that they want to switch over, it’s important to look at the individual’s business model:
- If you look at your analytics, do the figures show that the site is attracting mobile users?
- If the site is already working well on mobile with solid conversion rates, then maybe the client doesn’t need a responsive web site after all.
- Other factors to consider are how the site looks aesthetically when viewed on a mobile device. If the site completely loses shape and becomes either unpleasing to look at or difficult to read, one might consider having the site redone responsively.
Success Online Coaching- A Case Study
We built a responsive site for Success Online Coaching recently, and we are proud of the results.
It was important for Success Online Coaching to have a site that could be accessed through mobile because their business model relies almost entirely on online sales. They also have an app that provides access to their website, so it was important that they had an aesthetically pleasing site for customers to navigate.