Due to the fact that more consumers are using digital devices to access websites and information, it’s become more imperative than ever to build all your websites to be responsive. You have just a few moments to convince your website visitor to answer your call to action, so you don’t want to mess up your chances with a website that is not designed responsively.
Responsively designed websites have three things in common:
1. Fluid layouts – The layout and elements on the page get larger or smaller depending upon the browser, within minimum and maximum limits.
2. Media queries – Using CSS style sheets, the responsively designed site will call upon different style sheets based on the browser’s size.
3. Viewpoint – The page will render based on the viewer’s device in a way that it can be used most effectively and efficiently.
They Adapt to the User
A responsive web design will change based on the browser type that your customer is using. No matter what type of browser or size of browser your customer uses, they can easily access your information with the same content and the same overall design. It will change the display in a way that enables your user to read the information no matter what.
No Need for Two (or more) Designs
When mobile first came about, web designers were often designing more than one website to accommodate the different screen sizes and browsers. You may have even seen websites with the notice: Optimized for Internet Explorer. This type of thing can be very frustrating to consumers and is not something you want to do. Instead, create one design that works for all devices. That’s responsive design.
It’s Not Really New
The thing about responsive design is that it’s not really that new. In fact, it’s about simplicity and you’ll be using mostly HTML5 and CSS to design everything about your website. Since you want people to be able to read your site and use your site across platforms, the more simple the design, the better. Responsive design uses flexible layouts, flexible images and cascading style sheets so that the layout is changed automatically for the viewer depending on which device they’re using.
Responsive design allows your website to be viewed, used, and enjoyed regardless of the device being used. It doesn’t mean that your site will look exactly the same on each device – it’s even better than that. A well-designed responsive site will look different on each device but it will work well on each device. For instance, a smartphone has smaller screen space, so instead of a site with side bars, the content will be moved to the top for reading, side bars will be moved under the content, and buttons will remain large enough to press with a finger.