Responsive Web Design - What It Does and Why It Matters
Responsive web design is a term attributed to Ethan Marcotte from an article he wrote in 2010 in which he describes it as:
"fluid grid/ flexible images/ media queries"
In simpler terms it is content that automatically changes/responds to the dimensions of the device/screen so that the content remains easily viewable and usable by the user/visitor.
Responsive web design capability has been around to some degree since 2008/2009. However folks still didn't adapt the practices until the past 3-4 year. In fact some folks still refuse to use it or add on an upcharge to do it.
The reality is that responsive web design should be done, should be an industry standard, and shouldn't cost more to provide.
What Does Responsive Web Design Do?
As mentioned before, it automatically changes the content based on the dimension of the device/screen. However there's more to than just that. Basically when you view a website from a device, the browser will look to see what the screen size is set to and then render it based on what the website tells it to do. So for example a website viewed on a laptop will look different than a cellphone. Both will have similar content and style, but the layout will be different. Check out the different views in this screenshot.
As your screen size changes, so should the design/layout of your site. It should automatically adjust things like images and text sizes so it stays readable/viewable no matter the screen size. The purpose of responsive web design is so you don't have to zoom in or out to view the content.
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, some web design companies still refuse to accept responsive web design as an industry standard, or MUST HAVE. They also like to misrepresent how easily it's implemented, and instead add on an upcharge or upgrade fee to add the capability. In fact, they have to purposely seek out older software versions just to implement a non-mobile friendly, non-responsive design.
Why Does Responsive Design Matter?
For starters, it matters because search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yandex will penalize sites that are not optimized for mobile devices. Second, because visitors to your site deserve a sight that works well on their device. They shouldn't have to zoom the page, squint to read text, or struggle to click a button or menu. Third, because it drives traffic and engagement because folks can actually interact with the content. Last but not least, because there's ZERO excuse for a website to not be responsive in this day and age because over 50% of all website visits are done on a mobile device.
Your amazing service or company will only help website traffic so much. It's guaranteed that a poorly designed, non-responsive, non-mobile friendly website will drive sales and traffic AWAY from your site.
In this age of COVID, you need all the sales and leads you can get.
Our promise to you:
- We don't charge extra or more for responsive web design (Responsive web design is INCLUDED at no additional cost).
- We don't price gouge on web design (we charge 2-3 times less than our competitors because we offer a fair market value).
- We work for you, not against you (most of our competitors nickel and dime you for every little thing, we don't).