What is a responsive website?

The web development industry has encountered a new problem since the era of smartphones and tablets. How do I develop a website that caters to both desktop environments and mobile phones? What is a responsive website? With most online search queries happening on smartphones, businesses can no longer ignore the influential force that is the mobile industry. In this blog we’ll explore the benefits of having a responsive website.

What is responsive web design?

Responsive web design, put simply, is a website that dynamically adjusts its layout based on what device is viewing it. You may notice some new sites will change column or page size to fit your personal tablet or smartphone. This design solution takes a lot into account, as each device platform will need to be considered when integrating design choices such as buttons, interactivity, and content. This is especially true if the website in question is old. Google has suggested responsive design is their preferred choice for incorporating mobile. Converting your website to a responsive design is imperative these days, in order to serve mobile and tablet customers. 

Moving away from mobile sites

Before responsive design was mainstream, mobile sites were necessary in order to cater to the mobile audience. A mobile site is a separate entity from a business’s desktop site, created specifically for mobile devices. For this reason, businesses had to update and maintain two separate sites. This often lead to incomplete data on mobile sites, conflicting messaging and a confused website visitor. Mobile sites were clunky and difficult to navigate with large buttons and menus. The answer to these logistics issues is responsive web development and design.

Bottom line

There are so many advantages to responsive web design. User experience has been improved because visitors have the same experience on your site no matter what the device. Messaging confusion is not an issue because there is only one site to maintain. Time and money is saved by not having to update two separate sites. It’s important to keep in mind your audience when you decide the best web platform for your business. Statistics show that web visitors are an increasingly mobile audience. 

At WebWorks89 we recommend responsive sites to our customers. Making the switch to responsive is the next step in capturing and converting more website visitors. Let us consult with you to find the best solution for your business. To read more about our web solutions, check out our web design page.