RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN – WHAT IS IT, WHY DO I NEED IT?

Ever look at a website on a iPhone, smartphone, tablet or netbook and wonder why it doesn’t look right or work right? Do you wonder why you need to zoom in and out, moving the page all over the place to find what you need?

Up until recently there was only really one good option to address these issues; develop a mobile website. Part of the problem is in trying to detect what kind of device your viewers are using to either show them the “mobile” website or to direct them to the “desktop” website. This presented several unique challenges:

• How can we keep up with all the new devices that are coming out and still have the correct website displayed.
• How can we give the user the same experience they receive on the desktop website while on mobile devices.
• Should we sacrifice the experience on one device in exchange for the ability to handle the visitors from another type of device?

Or…is there another option?

Responsive Web Design is the design approach that a website should respond to users’ behavior and environment based on the screen size, platform and orientation. This consists of a mix of flexible grids, layouts and images, as well as a level of intelligence in the coding of the site. When a user switches from their laptop to tablet, the website should automatically switch to accommodate for screen resolution, image size, etc… In other words the website should respond to the user’s preference. This eliminates the need to create a different website for each device.

You’re asking yourself, what does this mean to my business? If your users are not able to view your website on their mobile devices, your losing business. Less business means fewer sales which means less money in your pocket at the end of the day. When you consider that “94% of smartphone users have looked for local information, 90% have taken actions as a result.”1 Combine that with the fact that 53% of all people use their smartphones for searching on a daily basis and you get the picture. Can your business afford to ignore statistics like that? Your website must definitely be mobile friendly and more than likely, should be responsive.

With a responsive web design you get the best of both worlds. A feature rich website that serves up an intuitive experience for mobile users by responding to their device. Be confident and say that your website works across all different devices, sizes, or types.

Making your site mobile ready and optimized for local searches could pay big returns. Better yet, make it Responsive and see the results. Contact us with any questions regarding your web site and its mobile readiness.