What is Responsive Web Design and Why is It So Important?
According to the latest report from SimilarWeb, mobile devices are now driving 56% of all internet traffic to top sites. The rapid growth of mobile penetration means having a mobile-friendly website is now a must. In fact, Google and other search engines have begun to prioritize mobile-friendly pages when accessed from mobile devices.
There are two routes you can take to make your site mobile friendly. You can have a dedicated mobile version of the entire site running separately or you can go with a responsive web design. The latter is seen as the more efficient option of the two. We’re going to take a closer look at responsive web design in this article.
What is Responsive Web Design?
As the name suggests, responsive web design responds to the size of the screen used to view it. When a responsive site is accessed on a desktop computer, it will display the standard desktop layout. From mobile devices, on the other hand, the site will have a reorganized layout for a better viewing experience.
I said ‘reorganized’ because the elements are very much the same. The scripts – in this case the CSS and supporting HTML codes – simply transform the way each element is displayed. For example, the page can determine the device’s screen resolution and then display a certain layout designed for that particular resolution.
Why is it Important to Have a Responsive Design?
A recent discussion with top Las Vegas web designers and UX specialists revealed a lot about why responsive web design is now very popular. For starters, it is an efficient way of catering to mobile users, which means you can accommodate more traffic, get better SEO exposure and of course provide users with great user experience in general.
Responsive web design is also highly optimized these days. There are ways to hide and show different elements according to screen sizes. JavaScript can be used to add behaviors, buttons and other supporting functions to mobile users. It is even possible to make a page work the way native mobile apps work, with access to user’s location, camera and other features.
Lastly, responsive web design is easy to maintain. You don’t have to update multiple nodes – or versions – of the site. When you publish a new article, for example, you no longer have to check if it is displayed correctly by the dedicated mobile version of the site. Updates and general maintenance are also much easier to do.
Responsive Web as a Solution
Having a mobile-friendly site is simply a must; there is no way around it. We’re seeing a huge growth in mobile device penetration across the world, which means the amount of traffic coming from mobile devices will only continue to grow. Responsive web design is an effective solution that will help your site, and your business, tap into more potential customers without the extra hassle.
When is the best time to add responsive design to your site? I would say as soon as possible. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly right now, you are missing out on a lot of users already.
