Responsive web design, also known as mobile-friendly design, is an important yet often-forgotten element of effective website design. Today, people rely on their smartphones and tablets to research everything, from restaurants to health products. As such, creating a mobile-friendly website is more than just an option; it is a necessary brand strategy.
This article will explain the importance of responsive web design, how it can help your business, and practical tips for optimising your website.
What is Responsive Web Design?
Responsive web design refers to an approach to website design that considers mobile-friendliness. Such a design involves creating a fluid layout that changes size and position to fit any screen size. In other words, if a visitor reads your site on a smartphone, the page will fit within their phone screen, giving them the full view without needing to zoom in and out or scroll horizontally.
What is the Difference Between Static And Responsive Web Design?
As the name implies, static web design remains the same on any device, meaning the desktop version doesn’t adapt to a mobile device. Usually associated with older website designs from before the advent of smart devices, static websites have great SEO loading speed but have limited functionality on mobile devices, potentially leading to a poor experience for mobile users.
As stated above, a responsive web design is made with mobile-friendliness in mind. Unlike a static website, a responsive website has a fluid layout that changes to fit any screen. This creates a more aesthetically pleasing and convenient interface than a static website.
Why is a responsive web design important?
Responsive web design is important because it ensures a website delivers an optimal user experience across all devices, from desktops to smartphones. Here are key reasons why it matters:
- Increased mobile traffic: Captures a larger mobile audience by optimising for smartphones and tablets.
- Cost and time efficiency: Eliminates the need for separate desktop and mobile versions, saving resources.
- Future-proofing: Ensures your site remains functional and visually appealing as new devices emerge.
In short, responsive web design supports business goals and competitiveness.
What is the Benefit of Responsive Design?
Responsive website design offers these benefits to your brand and its website:
- More mobile traffic: Studies have shown that 58% of all website traffic comes from mobile devices. Optimising a site for responsive design will broaden your brand’s reach and increase its website traffic.
- Improved user experience: Access to a website that can adapt to any screen size greatly improves the user experience due to better readability, intuitive navigation, and other key elements.
- Faster loading speed: Responsive web design boosts the page’s loading speed, improving the user experience and boosting search rankings.
- Improved search engine optimisation (SEO): Responsive web design can positively influence SEO rankings by improving loading speed, removing repetitive elements, etc.
- Lower development costs: Making a website that uses the same fluid HTML and CSS across all devices is much cheaper and less time-consuming than creating a dedicated app.
- Lower maintenance needs: Maintaining a second mobile app requires additional testing and support, as well as separate content strategies. By contrast, a single responsive website’s "one size fits all" approach reduces the amount of resources and maintenance required.
- Lower maintenance needs: Maintaining a second mobile app requires additional testing and support, as well as separate content strategies. By contrast, a single responsive website’s "one size fits all" approach reduces the amount of resources and maintenance required.
- Lower maintenance needs: Maintaining a second mobile app requires additional testing and support, as well as separate content strategies. By contrast, a single responsive website’s "one size fits all" approach reduces the amount of resources and maintenance required.
- Lower bounce rates and higher conversion rates: A responsive website offers a better, more consistent user experience for visitors across all devices, resulting in lower bounce rates and higher conversions.
How do I Create a Responsive Website Design?
Whether you’re creating a new website from scratch or converting a static website into a responsive one, these guidelines will help you optimise your design for a user-friendly experience on all devices:
- Set the viewport meta tag: Including a viewport meta tag at the top of the webpage document ensures that the browser will be able to adjust and control the page's dimensions and scaling.
- Set appropriate responsive breakpoints: A responsive breakpoint represents the “point” at which a website’s content and design will adapt to a device’s screen size and resolution.
- Use a fluid grid: The cornerstone of any responsive website, a fluid grid offers a dynamic layout that adapts seamlessly to any screen size or resolution. Fluid grids utilise relative units such as percentages to define column widths, allowing content to adjust flexibly based on the available viewport space.
- Optimise for touchscreens: Most mobile smart devices (smartphones and tablets), a few laptops, and even desktop computers are equipped with touchscreens. As such, your website should be compatible with touchscreens. For example, CTA and drop-down menu buttons should be easy to see and select.
- Define typography: When designing your responsive website, use responsive fonts. This ensures that font sizes will change with respect to the screen size ratio, making the website easily readable on all devices.
- Use a pre-designed theme or layout: If you’re strapped for time, don’t be afraid to use a pre-designed theme or layout with built-in responsive properties. Some web-building platforms, like WordPress, provide multiple options (both free and paid) in this regard.
- Test responsiveness on real devices: Always test your website's responsiveness on a real mobile device. This ensures that you can properly verify what your website looks like to end-users.
If implementing responsive design feels overwhelming, consider hiring a responsive web design agency to ensure that all the requirements for responsive design are met and that your brand’s website functions flawlessly across all platforms.
Conclusion
In a world where everyone and their grandparents have a mobile smart device, creating a mobile-friendly, responsive website is a viable investment that your brand must make. In addition to providing a better user experience for your customers, a responsive website design will also improve your site’s SEO, ensuring that it will climb to the top of the Google search results and increase your brand’s visibility.
Create Responsive Website Designs With BikeBear’s Help
If you need responsive website design experts, BikeBear Malaysia has you covered. Our team of highly trained professionals will help you create a website that’s perfectly functional, intuitive, and enjoyable on every device.
