Businesses that are working in the competitive market space for a long time must be aware of the fact that “Responsiveness of web design matters the most ”. No matter how effective and attractive website design you create for the user, if the elements inside your website are not responsive then all your efforts can go in vain. Most businesses today look toward an experienced website design company because of the highly responsive and conversion-centric website they get for their business.
Today users that are seeking an answer or product prefer to grab the nearest device. Mobile and tablets are the two most preferred handheld devices that every person prefers to keep nearby. Today with the increase in the number of mobile device users, every person looks to access the internet from their mobile devices. Mainly if you are into the health, financial, or media industry then your visitors are likely to be more from mobile devices. So no business and website can afford to have a static website design that appears attractive only on the desktop screen.
But it all comes down to one question “How do I make my website responsive?”. If you scrolling the internet to find the answer from the same then you have landed on the right article where we are going to highlight some of the important points on why having responsive website design is needed more than ever? and How websites can make their design responsive?. So make sure you stick to the end of this article to explore some of the crucial and proven points.
Table Of Content:
- An Overview Of Responsive Website Design
- What is Responsive Web Design?
- Why does having a responsive website design matter the most?
- Tips to creating a highly responsive website design for your business
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
An Overview Of Responsive Website Design
The days of designing a website for a single device (Desktop) are long gone. Today technology has made it possible for the user to get access to different devices having different screen sizes like mobile phones, tablets, i-pads, and more. The increase in the number of mobile and tablet users has pushed website designers to think about making the website design work across different screens.
The multi-device culture is constantly rising and we can expect that in the future most of the work will be carried out on handheld devices. So if you have a static website that appears good only on the computer screen then you need to get your website redesigned as soon as possible. Because today every user prefers to access the web pages from their mobile devices and if you are failing to make your website design responsive on different screens then you might end up losing lots of customers to your competitor’s website.
The responsive design you create and offer will be aimed at offering the best and optimized website user experience across different devices and screens. Whether your website is getting accessed from the laptop, PC, tablet or mobile devices a responsive design ensures that your web pages and elements inside it are clearly visible and accessible. Users that are trying to access your website content from mobile devices should get the same experience as desktop devices.
Most of the time websites fail to display the elements and other visuals on mobile devices and tablets which makes users frustrated and discourages them from exploring more about your website, business, and product. If your website is not responsive then it will never hold any site visitors instead give rise to more bounce rates. A responsive design can only be achieved when you hand your website to experienced professionals, that is the reason why it’s recommended to consult with an experienced WordPress web design company to create a highly responsive conversion-centric business website.
By making your website responsive you ensure that the content and other elements inside your website automatically respond and match the screen size of the viewer. The reason why we are focusing more on the screen size than the device is that a user using blackberry can have a different screen whereas a person using iPhone 12 might well have a different screen size. That is the reason why it said today is more about making your website design responsive full screen than devices.
Today the number of devices and screens is continuously increasing. Creating an individual static website for different devices can be a time, as well as money, consuming process. That is the reason why websites should focus on making their website design and its element responsive for different devices. Below we will be highlighting some of the important and proven points that you can consider to make your website design responsive.
What is Responsive Website Design?
Before we highlight responsive website design tips let’s understand the true meaning of responsive website design. It is an approach that makes the web design and its element adapt or respond depending on the size of the screen. If we dive down simpler than it simply means a responsive website automatically detects the resolution of the device that the browser is using and adjusts all the content, elements, and visuals or the whole layouts so that users are able to view every skill element clearly as they viewed on the desktop screens.
For example, your web page might contain elements split into different columns into the desktop devices or screens because there you get full freedom to play with the design and use maximum space to highlight important elements. But when it comes to mobile devices, the view won’t be able to interact and engage with the element or content separated into columns.
The responsiveness of the website design makes it possible for the user to access the element regardless of the devices and screen it is getting viewed on. The main goal behind making a website design responsive is to offer a consistent user experience by allowing users to easily maximize, minimize, and scroll the website along with smooth navigation and all the elements accessible through their fingertips.
By now you must have a clear idea about what a responsive website design is? Next, let’s take a look into why it’s essential for websites and businesses to have a responsive website design?
Why does having a responsive website design matter the most?
No matter how attractive and effective your website design might be for your site visitor, if you are failing to create a great user experience then it can directly impact your website traffic and conversion. The user experience of your website is very much dependent on the responsiveness of your website and the element inside it. An unresponsive website can impact your website accessibility that will lead to a higher bounce rate and lower conversion.
Undoubtedly creating a great and enhanced user experience is essential for every website that is looking to create a strong online presence. Because the website design you offer highlights your business and acts as the physical extension of your business. When a consumer visits your physical store you greet them with drinks and make your employee available for them so that they can get every small answer related to product and business. All these are part of creating a great user experience that will encourage your customer to take action and return back in the future.
The same idea is used for the website on the internet. The more easy and enhanced the user experience you offer to your audience the more likely they will stay on your website, explore more about your product and make a successful purchase. Offering an enhanced user experience encourages your site visitor to return back on your website to make their next purchase.
As mentioned earlier today more than desktop, web pages receive traffic from mobile devices. So if you want your site visitor to have an enhanced user experience and look to improve your website conversion then it’s recommended to focus more on offering a responsive website design that allows users to have a satisfactory and consistent user experience. Most of the websites that are not responsive end up offering a cluttered layout when the pages are opened on small screens like on tablets, mobile phones, and more.
When a website design is responsive then the layout is restructured in a way that allows the user to access every small element of the website regardless of the screen it is getting viewed on. A responsive website can benefit your website and business in many ways, so let’s take a look at some of the points on why having a responsive website design is needed more than ever?
1. Mobile usage is at the peak
The reason why having a responsive website is needed more than ever is because a recent report by Statista states that more than 58% of American adults make use of smartphones and more than 55% of the website traffic is generated from mobile devices. And every month the number of mobile users and website traffic from mobile devices is continuously increasing. That means every month more and more users will search for your products and services on mobile devices.
So if users are hanging out more on mobile devices than the desktop then there are high chances that your target audience might be searching for your product and business on mobile devices. By not making your website and its elements responsive for mobile devices you are doing more harm to your website traffic, conversion, and most importantly revenue. If the user faces difficulties in interacting with your website design on mobile devices, then they are likely to ignore your website on desktop as well.
Not only that but it could also lead to a bad impression about your business and there will be high chances that your site visitor will move to your competitor’s website without having any second thoughts. That is the reason why it is essential for every website and business to make their design responsive on all types of screens. If you need further assistance on how you can make your website design responsive then make sure to reach out to our highly experienced WordPress website design company.
2. Helps in improving user experience
As we have mentioned earlier the responsiveness of a website design and user experience go parallelly or we can say the user experience is very much dependent on the website design responsiveness. If you want people to say on your website, explore more about your product and most importantly trust your product and business. Then you need to make the design more accessible, navigation easy, and convenient by creating and offering a responsive website design.
If a user is visiting your website from mobile devices or from tablets then they should be able to access every small element of your website, navigate through different pages, and also the visuals you are using inside your website should be clearly visible. Most of the time site visitors complain about the website and the elements inside it like the CTA button, image, text, and more taking time to load on mobile devices. These types of activities can make your website, as well as your business, look unprofessional.
By making your website design responsive you ensure that your website and elements inside it load on every device and offer an optimized user experience to the site visitor. If you are looking to create a responsive website design for your business then it’s always recommended to hire an experienced website design company for your website and business.
3. Increase your website and product reach
By making your website responsive you are engaging user experience but also making your products and website reach a maximum number of the potential audience. With the increase in the number of mobile and tablet internet users, these devices have become one of the most crucial forces behind driving traffic to your website. Today if a user needs any answer or any product the first thing they do is search for it on the device close to them.
Mobile devices are always the nearest to the user so if they search for the product or any answer that relates to your niche then there are high chances that the user might land on your website if it’s responsive. Apart from that, we have also mentioned in the first point how the use of mobile devices is continuously increasing. Most of the websites that are driving a sufficient amount of traffic from desktop devices generally ignore optimizing their website for other screens.
If you are among them then you should know that most of your potential audience are making use of mobile devices to search for your product and landing on your competitors’ responsive website. Instead of neglecting to make your website responsive, your goal should be to create and offer a highly responsive website design that allows you to drive traffic to your website. By making your website responsive you can increase the reach of your website and product.
4. Shopping on mobile devices is continuously growing
If you belong to an ecommerce background then you must acknowledge that today more and more shoppers are landing on your online store for mobile devices. The internet has made it possible for the user to avoid hopping into the car, visiting the physical store to make purchases. With the help of the internet, shoppers are able to place the order within a few clicks and get the product by sitting at home. But earlier desktop was the most popular way to make any purchase online.
But now things have become simpler with mobile devices as shoppers are easily able to purchase the product from mobile devices. Mobile devices have made it more convenient for users to make purchases. That is the reason why shoppers are becoming addicted to making purchases from mobile devices. Today more than 70% of the shoppers are making use of the mobile device to make the purchase from the online store.
If the products inside your ecommerce website are not easily accessible or viewable then it will never encourage a site visitor to make the purchase from your online store. So no matter how effective and helpful your product and services might be for your site visitor, if they are not responsive on mobile devices then people will never show interest in purchasing it from your store.
5. Helps in improving your search engine ranking
The responsiveness of the website has become one of the primary factors in SEO or we can say in ranking your website. If you’re new to the SEO and website design world then you should be aware of one of the important factors that mobile ranking and desktop ranking differ. That means if your website is ranking on the top page in the search engine result page on desktop devices then it might not be the same on mobile devices. When it comes to ranking your website on the top page on mobile devices it’s always recommended to keep responsiveness as the first priority.
The reason why responsive website design performs better in search engines is that it offers a better user experience and Google always gives preference to the website that is helping them in offering a better user experience to searchers. Not only that but Google also gives preference to responsive website design because it allows you to manage single URLs. Running an SEO campaign can be time-consuming and expensive but with the help of a responsive website, you can cut down the extra cost that goes into running the campaign.
Today google makes use of different algorithms for mobile searches, by making your website responsive you indicate to Google that it can be used by any searchers. So if you wonder why you need to make your website design responsive then SEO can be another reason that you can include in your list.
6. Trim down Extra Cost
Another reason why the site owners should look into making their website design responsive is that it helps in trimming down the extra cost that businesses spend in creating a separate website from a mobile audience. Most of the time websites prefer to create a separate website for mobile devices well if you are planning to do the same then you should know that with design comes maintenance. That means creating a separate website for your mobile audience can increase the maintenance cost of the website.
But with the help of a responsive website, you can easily eliminate the extra cost of developing a new website specifically for mobile devices and also the maintenance cost. Your business needs to only invest in a single site design and make it responsive for all devices so that any user accessing your website from any disease gets the same experience.
Not only that but having a responsive website also reduces the cost of SEO for mobile websites and desktop devices. Yes, you might be starting with a good budget and have full freedom to create multiple websites for your business but if you look at your website and business for the long run then you might be able to save a lot of costs which can be utilized for different purposes.
If you are planning to design a new website or redesign an existing website then we recommended you consult with an experienced WordPress web design company that can help you to create a highly responsive, attractive, and conversion-centric website design for your business.
7. Helps in improving conversion and sales
By now you must be convinced that website responsiveness can offer a lot of benefits and one among them is increasing conversion and sales. Running a responsive website can lead to better visibility in the search engine result page that will help you to drive maximum traffic and conversion on your website design. Not only that but a responsive website design allows you to offer an optimized user experience which can lead to better conversions and sales. Remember the easy users are able to interact with your website on mobile devices the higher chances will be of converting users into paying customers.
A responsive website adjusts the layout of the design depending on the screen and displays all the elements of the website so that users are able to navigate theory and are able to take the action on the CTA. You might spend thousands of dollars in creating attractive visuals that guide users on how and where to take action. But if the design you create is not responsive then it will become difficult to identify where to take action which could lead to low conversion and sales. So if you are looking to improve your website conversion and sales then it’s essential to focus more on making every small element of your website design responsive.
By now you might have a clear idea about what responsive website design is needed more than ever. Next, we are going to highlight some of the important tips on how you can make your website design responsive.
Tips to creating a highly responsive website design for your business
1. Making use of fluid grid results
When it comes to making your website design then most of you might plan to focus on the fixed-sized pixel but we recommend you adopt a fluid grid. Earlier designers used to lay the whole website based on the measurement called pixels. But with the advancement in the design trends website and designers have started to shift toward fluid grid layout that expands with the web pages.
In the fluid grid layout, the elements inside the website are sized equally by the grid whereas in the case of pixel-based design there are limitations as the elements inside the website have a specific size. That is the reason why websites should make use of the fluid grid to make the element shift the shape depending on the size of the screen. The flexibility offered by a fluid grid allows the layout to dynamically resize so that it easily fits the dimension of the screen.
The fluid grid is based mainly on the term of proportions, not on the pixel or percentage. All the visuals, CTAs, text, and more resize their width, height, and shape in relation to one another depending on the screen it is being viewed on. The grid view makes it easy to place the element on the screen by dividing the web page into columns. The fluid grid in your website does half of the job by making your website design respond to every type of screen.
You can also set the rule of your grid by making changes in the CSS and either code in your website. If you are not handy with the codes then we recommended you consult with an experienced website design company that can help you in making your website responsive for all devices and screens.
If you are looking to know 2021 web design trends then make sure to check our blog on Web Design Trends 2021: 10 Unique Design Trends To Follow In 2021
2. Adopt Flexbox layout
While the fluid grid is used by many websites the designers and web developers found that the fluid grid needs more improvement as it was not flexible or dynamic enough. That is the reason why they started adopting the flexbox layout which is considered one of the efficient ways to display multiple-element on any type of screen. It is a CSS module designed that is adopted by many designers and developers because it lays the elements even if the size of the element inside the container is not known.
The flexbox layout allows the element to fill the available space and shrink depending on the space available in the success. Apart from that, it comes with many unique properties like justifying content which cant be edited with HTML element. Well, flexbox layout is the advancement of the fluid grid but is considered a bit complex that is the reason why most of the designers still prefer to go with a fluid grid.
If you are looking to know more about how you can make use of flexbox layout in your website design then we recommend you to consult with highly experienced website design professionals that can help you to identify why and how you can make your website design responsive.
3. Making use of media queries
Well, the fluid layout does half of the work by making your website element reshape its size and allowing your website design to be responsive. But if the width of the browser becomes too small or if the website design is getting viewed on smaller screens then the design running in the two three columns will not work. In these types of cases, the use of media queries becomes a must for every website design.
With the help of media queries, you can improve your website layout for different types of screen width. The content inside your website responds depending on the different types of devices where the media query role is to check for the width, size, and resolution. Media query is considered as the fundamental part of CSS3 that allows you to make your website element adaptable to the screen size.
If make use of the @media rule to check whether the screen viewport is wide or too wide before executing the CSS in the website design. For example, if the screen size is less than the desired width then it automatically excludes certain elements making the layout more appropriate for the type of screen it is getting displayed on. TO make the website design layout more optimized for mobile devices the media query can also make use of breakpoints.
4. Make use of viewports
The viewport is nothing but the area of the web pages viewed on different devices to the user. It differs depending on the type of device or screen it is getting viewed on. Adding it in the meta tag indicated the browser about the page dimension and scaling. The use of meta tag allows users to scroll the website horizontally or zooming out excessively to check the content. These types of practices help you to improve your website user experience on devices with a small screen.
The viewport or the area of the web page can be identified with the help of media queries which will allow designers to dive into the specification of different browsers. When making your website design responsive you can also add a mobile-first design. It includes using a style targeted for small viewpoints. If you need further assistance on how you can make your website design responsive then we recommend you consult with an experienced website design company for your business.
5. Allows your website design to be touch responsive
Whether you are creating a website for a laptop or desktop you should focus on creating a touch-responsive website design. Because today apart from mobile the laptop screen also comes in touchscreen form. By making your website touch-responsive you will not only help your mobile user but also laptop users. Make sure the CTA and another icon in your website design are large enough so the site visitor can easily touch the target when it accesses from the mouse as well as fingers.
When creating a responsive website design you need to focus on creating and offering a design keeping both touchscreens users as well as mouse click users in mind. If we talk about mobile devices then it’s always recommended to make use of screen space in the right and the strategic way by placing more number of elements and making the button easily visible and accessible. Most of the time users are improved with the product and information but fail to perform the final action because their fingers fail to click on the button.
Foreamsole if your website is asking users to fill the form and to make this process easier you are offering a dropdown menu with multiple options on desktop devices. So when making your design responsive your goal should be to use the right width and height that makes it easy for the user to press and access it with the fingertips. Apart from that, make sure the color you use on your website makes the button stand out from the crowd.
If you need further assistance on how you can make your website design more responsive then we recommend you consult with an experienced website design company for your website and business.
6. Decide which element to showcase on small screens
Whether you are aware or not but you restrict some elements of your website from getting viewed on mobile devices. Most of the business and website think that making a website design responsive means replicating all the elements of your website design displayed in desktop devices into mobile devices. But in reality, when making your website design responsive you get full freedom to decide which element you wish to add or showcase on the small screens.
Remember by making your website design responsive your goal is to offer the best user experience to your mobile site visitors. That means you need to eliminate every small element that can impact your website user experience on mobile devices. For example, the horizontally placed menu button on the desktop website might not be the same on mobile devices. Because today most websites prefer to go with a hamburger menu for mobile devices making it easy for the user accessing your website from a small screen to check the navigation menu on their fingertips.
The menu appears to be large on larger screens like desktops, or monitors. But if the website is getting viewed on a small screen then the user can access the menu using a single button. In the same way, if your website contains any video or visual that you feel is only meant for desktop users then you can restrict it from getting displayed on a small screen. For that, you need to set screen rules by customizing your website CSS and other codes.
If you are not good with code then we recommend you consult with an experienced WordPress website design company that can help you to make your website responsive for all types of screens and devices.
7. Optimize your media element for small screens
When it comes to making a website design responsive then you need to keep the media element into consideration. Most of the time the media element becomes the primary reason that affects the website responsiveness on different devices. Whether it’s images or videos every website needs to ensure that the media elements are clearly visible and users accessing your website for small screens are easily able to interact with them.
That is the reason why it’s said the media element like image and video are among the most crucial elements that can make and break the responsiveness and reputation of your website and business. When it comes to making the media element responsive then it’s always recommended to make use of the max-width property.
When making your media file responsive you need to create rules in your CSS like setting the width to max 100% and making the height auto. So that the media elements scale down depending on the device it is getting viewed on. If your background is using some kind of image then we recommend you set size as “contain” so that it automatically scales and fits the area.
Apart from that, you can follow the basic image optimization guideline like compressing the images before uploading so that it loads faster on small screens. Remember image sizing can be the most challenging of responsive website design. That is the reason why we recommend you to consult with an experienced website design professional that can help you to adjust the size of the image without harming the design and flow of your website.
8. Make use of pre-designed layout or themes
If you are using wordpress and have less knowledge about the technical aspect of the website design then we recommend you make use of pre-designed responsive themes for your website. Today every website owner and person belonging to the website design industry understands the importance of responsiveness so do the themes providers. If you don’t have time or technical knowledge to make your website design responsive then we recommend you make use of pre-designed templates and themes that work for all types of devices.
Before you select a theme for your wordpress website take a look at the features that come with the particular theme. If the theme is responsive then you will find it the feature or description then you just have to make changes in the color, layout, and content to match your company requirements. WordPress offers both free as well as the paid theme so make sure to check whether the theme is responsive or not.
9. Optimize your website typography for the small screen
Yes, the images and videos play a crucial role in making a website design responsive. But there is another element that you need to focus on while making your website design responsive is the “typography” of your website. Yes, you read it right, most of the time websites skip the typography which results in less engagement and conversion. The media element in your website can make it look attractive on the small screen.
But when it comes to persuading site visitors to become a paying customer you need to focus on making the typography easily accessible. Websites spend hundreds and thousands of dollars in creating attractive, informative, and persuasive content that offers a reason to the customer why they should take action on your website design. But what if the user accessing your website from mobile devices fails to engage with the content, then all your efforts can go in vain.
That is the reason why it’s essential for every website to make its content effective on a small screen by making typography accessible to anyone and everyone. Website makes use of pixels to define the font size but it will be effective only when you are making your website for a single device to a fixed screen. When it comes to making the font responsive then you need to ensure that it changes its size depending on the screen it is getting viewed on.
10. Get in touch with experts
There are high chances that you might not have in-depth knowledge about coding which will automatically make it difficult for you to create a responsive website. Hiring an in-house developer to make your website responsive or redesign your existing website is not a wise choice. And from the results, we can clearly say businesses have started to move away from freelancers. So the question comes down to how you make your website design responsive?
Well, the simple answer is by hiring an experienced website design company for making your website responsive and also redesigning your existing website. Mainly if you are not using wordpress for your website then it can become difficult for you to make your website responsive because making a custom-coded website design responsive is not a cakewalk. Consulting with an award-winning website design company like SFWP Experts can help you to make your design more responsive, attractive, and conversion-centric.
You can also get your website redesigned by an experienced website design company that will ensure that your design is highly responsive and meets your site visitors expectation., If you are looking to know more about how to create a user-centric website design for your business. User-Centric Website Design Guide: How To Create A Website Design That Relates With Target Audience?
Conclusion
By now you must have a detailed idea bout what your business needs responsive design more than ever. Apart from that, we have also highlighted some of the important points that you can consider while making your website responsive. Remember if you are using WordPress then making your website design responsive can be easy for a basic website with the help plugins. But if you have a custom-coded website design then we reckoned you to take the help of experienced web developers.
Hiring an experienced website design company specialized in creating a different website for different industries can help you to design a highly responsive website design that drives more traffic and conversion on any type of drive it is getting viewed on. SFWP Experts is an award-winning website design company based in Los Angeles is working with highly experienced website design professionals who have worked for different fortune 500 organization to help them create a highly responsive and conversion-centric design that relates with their target audience and encourages them to perform the desired action.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What is the goal of a responsive website design?
The goal of creating a responsive website design is to offer an enhanced user experience to the users that are visiting your website from other devices. The goal behind creating a highly responsive website design is to create a website that automatically detects the screen size and shifts the shape and size of the elements, so the user there is viewing the website design is easily able to interact with it.
Earlier having a responsive website design used to be the feature but now it has become essential for every website from different industries to optimize its design for mobile and other handheld devices. Mainly today with the increase in the launch of new and different sizes of screen websites need to make their design responsive. If you are looking to make your website design responsive then we recommend you consult with an experienced website design company for your business.
2. Why do I need a responsive website design?
Most of the websites that are getting a sufficient amount of traffic from desktop devices often ask why they should spend money in creating a responsive website design for their business. Well, today having a responsive website design is needed more than ever due to the increase in the number of mobile device users. You might ignore to make your website design responsive but your competitors might have already created and run a responsive website design for their business.
Having a responsive website design not only allows you to make your website accessible from different devices. But also helps in increasing your website rank on mobile devices. Whether you are aware or not but Google uses different algorithms for mobile search results. So you might be ranking high for desktop searches but if your website is not optimized for mobile devices then it will become difficult for you to rank on the top in the mobile searches.
By creating a responsive website you ensure that users can easily read and navigate theory your website and also minimize and maximize the text and other elements depending on their needs. If you are looking to make your website design responsive then we recommend you consult with an experienced website design company that can help you to create a highly responsive and converting website design for your business.
3. What is the difference between adaptive design and responsive design?
Well, most of the websites get confused between adaptive design and responsive design. Well as the name suggests both the design processes are almost the same as they both change the website appearance depending on the browser’s environment and the device it is getting viewed on. But responsive design ensures that the web page responds to the size of the browser at any time regardless of the width of the browser. A responsive website adjusts its layout and ensures that it is optimized to the screen.
Whereas the adaptive website adapts to the width of the browser, that means the website expands its element depending on the width of the browser or we can say the layout of the web pages expand and adapt the browser width. That is the reason why responsive website design is always preferred over adaptive website design.
The responsive design is always considered smooth because the web pages fluidly adjust regardless of the device it is getting viewed on. Whereas the adaptive layout snaps into the browser because the web page adapts the browser width and sometimes it fails to display the element as it was supposed to get displayed in front of the audience. By now you might have a clear idea about what is the difference between adaptive and responsive design.
4. How to check whether the website is responsive or not?
Most of the websites that are planning to create responsive website designs often wonder how to test whether the website design is responsive or not. Well, there are various tools available that can help you to identify whether your website design is responsive or not. Below we are going to list some of them:
- Screenfly
- Responsinator
- Google Resizer
- Cross Browser Testing
- Viewport Resizer
- And many more