Responsive Web Design is super important, every new client these days wants a mobile version of their website. Because of this shift in consumer behavior, it’s no longer enough to have a website that only works from a desktop computer.
Across the globe, a growing number of consumers are turning to their phones for online purchases. So businesses need web devs for rising m-commerce retail trends. Most consumers this day have multiple devices, according to research done by Pew Research Centre(US), almost 75% of consumers have a mobile phone and desktop or laptop computer. Responsive Web Design isn’t going away anytime soon, especially on mobile. Predictions show by 2025 a majority of people will use the internet on their smartphones.
Responsive Web Design Explained
RWD uses HTML(Hypertext Markup Language) and CSS(Cascading Style Sheet) to make sites look good across multiple devices- iPhones, Androids, laptops, desktops, you name it. We need to be able to change devices, not worrying if the content’s changed.
CSS Grid, CSS Frameworks, and Media Queries
With more intuitive web builders and more responsive custom sites, it’s weird to think web design goes back to the 90s’ innovations, HTML and tables.
CSS Grid
Nowadays, the CSS grid seems to have replaced tables: What we’ve noticed on Twitter and across the web, CSS grid is generally considered more flexible and adaptable than HTML tables. With the CSS grid, it’s easy to play around with elements and great in building various grids. We can’t forget CSS grid is also compatible with all major browsers, as you see below:
CSS Frameworks
But it’s only one tool of many. According to one Redditor, a grid [system] is the place to start: do your research, pick a grid, and stick to it.
Bootstrap tops the CSS framework list because of its popularity. There literally are tons of tutorials, extensions, and plug-ins for this framework.
Foundation, another favorite, is a solid go-to for big names such as Mozilla, eBay, and yes.com. It’s a great professional framework with business support and resources. CSS grid is not a CSS framework. Think of it as a specific tool that can replace parts of the CSS framework but isn’t a direct replacement. In a lot of cases, a CSS framework may be easier to use.
Media Queries
Remember those screenshots of our site on the three devices? You probably noticed the images were the same, easy to view, but different sizes. For this, we have media queries to thank.
A media query includes a media type (i.e., image, video, etc.) and expressions (ranging from zero to, well, a lot) that check for the conditions of certain media features like width, height, and color.
To make sure a site’s images and videos are responsive on multiple devices, web developers need to input specific media queries for different devices.
But don’t forget screen orientation: You know when you turn your phone horizontally how suddenly the image gets wider? Yes, we need media queries for that.
Media queries (site layout and other responsive elements, too) make it easier for that user to fly by at 100 km per hour to scan sites. Possibly even purchase an item or share some eye-catching social content.
Responsive Web Design have-to is Navigation
“People won’t use your Web site if they can’t find their way around it.” Without tabs, a homepage, and of course, the good old back button—the most used button on browsers[16]—users would be lost down columns of endless internet aisles.
No wonder navigability ranks first (62.86%) as one of the most commonly discussed (in research circles) elements that affect engagement. Graphical representation (60%) and organization (42.86%) take second and third.
A beautifully-sized image is great but doesn’t do much if the user’s unsure where to go from there, or where they are on the site. Part of responsive design is ensuring the user always knows where home is and has accessible navigation tools (i.e., categories, menu, etc.) to explore the site.
RESPONSIVE WEBSITE DESIGN AND SEO
In 2015, the marketing world blew up with what would become known as Mobilegeddon. On April 21, Google announced that mobile-friendliness was now a ranking symbol, meaning mobile-friendly, responsive websites appeared higher in the search results. There have been a few updates since then, each one including mobile-friendliness as a key rankings indicator.
It’s simple—better rankings lead to more visits to your website, which results in more leads and sales.
For your next project if you like to develop a responsive website design, feel free to contact our Team.