What is Responsive Web Design

11 Sep What is Responsive Web Design

As more and more people are accessing the internet on their mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, there is more than ever a need for responsive websites. But what does this buzzword actually mean?

A responsive website simply means a website that has been designed and constructed so that all of the content, images and structure of the site remains the same on any device. For example, when a website is accessed from a computer, the user gets a full, detailed view of the site. But when the same website is accessed from a mobile device, the site will retract to fit on the smaller screen. This therefore allows the user to easily navigate through the website ensuring the website remains user friendly.

By having a responsive website, you no longer need a different website for a computer, mobile or tablet. Responsive design is therefore not the same as mobile design. Mobile design involves creating an entirely new website with content specifically created for the mobile design. Whereas a responsive site means the same domain, content and syntax respond to different screen sizes.

One of the main advantages to having a responsive website is that Google penalizes non-responsive sites. For some time now, Google has stated it has a preference for responsive sites and now tells mobile users which sites are responsive in their search results.

From April 21st, 2015 Google updated its search algorithm so that comparable mobile sites rank higher than non-friendly sites in mobile search results. Therefore if your website is not mobile friendly then it will start to drop in Google’s mobile search results.

If you want better search engine results and want your SEO efforts to have a positive impact, your website needs to be a responsive site.

There are many other advantages with having a responsive website. These include:

Saving money - a responsive website means customers only have to pay for the development of one website. There is also only one website that needs support, so this cuts down the monthly costs.

Your website will always look good - a responsive site means your website is always going to look its best. This is because the designs adapt to the screen size that is being used so customers will always have a good experience on your website no matter which device they are using.

Users can find information easier - a responsive website means the website will keep the same order for pages and services on any device that is being used, so users will find it easy to use your website whether they are looking at it on a computer or on a mobile device.

Users can find information anywhere and anytime - using a responsive website means the site will get more visitors who are using different mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. A user is also more likely to buy products or services from a website that works well on their devices.

Having a responsive website is definitely the future of web design and development. With smartphones and tablets taking place of desktops as devices to search the internet, businesses need to cater for this vast group of internet users who could potentially visit their site.