What is Responsive Web Design
Responsive web design is all about mobile devices. With more people than ever accessing the internet via smartphones, tablets and other devices, it’s important that a website is responsive. This means that the website adapts itself for optimum viewing on the device which js accessing it.
Responsive web sites will alter the number of columns they display, so that they are viewed in a single column on thinner displays such as a smartphone, in order to create a more pleasurable experience for the web site visitor.
Have you ever tried viewing a full website on a smartphone, and continually have to scroll across to the right, in order to see everything, and then scroll back to the left once you move further down the site. A responsive site will alter its layout so that this sideways scrolling is not necessary.
Responsive websites will select the resolution best suited to the mobile device. They will do this automatically when being accessed by any device, including laptops and desktops, so the website visitor will always have the optimum view of your business.
Some responsive websites also limit the features they offer. The chances are that if a user is viewing your website while on the move, there may be a number of features they won’t need. Limiting the information available has two benefits – the site will load faster, and also the user will be able to more quickly access the information they are seeking. Consequently, the user will find visiting your website a more satisfying experience than if your site was not responsive.
Building a responsive website is done at the time of creating your site. Once done, the advantages to the business owner are obvious – more people will be able to easily access your site. They are also more likely to remain on your site longer, particularly if your competitor’s website is not responsive.
The alternative to building a responsive web site would be to engage someone to create an application for your business. This would be costly (having to employ both an app developer and a website designer), and you would have to consider which platform the app is to be built in – the cost would obviously increase if you chose to build both an iTunes app and one for Android. There would also be the cost of advertising the fact that you have an app available.
In short, if you are considering redesigning your current business website, then it would be advantageous to you and your customers to build it with a responsive design. The benefits far outweigh the slight increase in cost and it will help you stand out from your competitors.