Responsive web design has changed considerably over the years. Traditionally, web design didn’t need to be responsive as people only browsed the internet from a desktop computer or laptop. However today, wireless internet access has becoming increasingly prevalent and a growing number of people are using mobile phones, tablets and other portable devices to access the internet. As such, it has never been more important to have a responsive web design.
What is a Responsive Web Design?
Responsive web design is a web-building technique that enables your website to work to its full capacity on a mobile device. Instead of having one web design for desktop use, another for mobile phone use and another for tablet use, web designers create a single design that is compatible across all devices.
This works by creating a single code that works across different screen resolutions. That code involves having fluid grids and fluid images so that when the website is opened up on a mobile phone, for example, the grid shrinks in size to appropriately fit the screen size. this enables viewers to read the content and view the images with ease.
The Benefits of Being Mobile
As technology continues to advance, it’s important to optimise how we display content across our website’s pages. Mobile browsers represent a rapidly expanding demographic and have already eclipsed desktop browsing in the United States. A recent report carried out by CNN Money found that 55% of American people use mobile devices to browse the internet and this figure is only set to rise further. For this reason it is paramount that your web design is fully optimised for smartphone and tablet use.
A website that has not been optimised to be responsive cannot be viewed easily on a mobile device. The page looks exactly the same as it would on a desktop screen, including banners, sidebars, adverts and social media buttons. This means that everything on the page is very small and cannot be seen easily.
When a person views a non-responsive website design they will immediately exit that website and visit an alternative site. Once this happens you have lost out on a potential client and a potential sale, so by having a website that is not responsive, you are ultimately cutting out a huge portion of prospective clients.
In summary, having a responsive web design is critical for increasing your client following and boosting sales, and with advancements in technology it has never been easier to create a responsive website.
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