Looking for a website that displays as optimally on mobile as it does on desktop? Welcome to the wonderfully intuitive world of responsive web design, or RWD for short.
Keen to know more? Stick with us as we explain what responsive means in web design, why a website should have it, and how to check if your website is responsive.
What is responsive web design?
Responsive web design is when a website has been designed to intuitively move and resize according to the limitations of the device it’s being viewed on.
In other words, if your website is responsive, it doesn’t matter if you’re looking at it on a 5.5” smartphone or a 16” inch laptop; it will always display, perform, and navigate optimally for each device.
Why you should have a responsive website
Mobile browsing has increased
According to Statsta.com, in January 2021, there were 4.66 billion active internet users worldwide, 92% of whom accessed the internet via mobile device. That’s over half the world’s population browsing websites on tablet or smartphone, so it couldn’t be more important to ensure that your website is displaying correctly on these devices.
New devices are released regularly
The speed at which new devices get released is another reasons why it’s essential to have a responsive website. Each year, an influx of new handsets hit the shelves, while traditional desktop hardware and laptops are evolving to become more agile. Designing a responsive website means you won’t have to reconfigure your website to each new device that enters the market.
It’s good for SEO
A website that can intuitively adapt to any device, irrespective of screen size, while still offering users an optimal experience, is the key to future-proofing your website and ensuring it can adapt with the times. What’s more, it’s imperative for SEO (search engine optimisation). So if you want your website to appear on page one of Google’s search results, you better make sure it’s designed using responsive web design.
It’s cost effective
Building a website using responsive web design also works out more cost effective in the longterm. Instead of having two versions of your site you have to manage, optimise, and update (a mobile and desktop version) using responsive web design means you have just one site that automatically adapts to any device. This means that elements such as fonts and images will automatically rescale to the optimum size.
How to check if your site is responsive
If you’re unsure whether your website is responsive, here’s a quick way to find out:
- Open up Google Chrome
- Load your website
- On your keyboard hit Ctrl, Shift & I together (this opens Chrome DevTools)
- Use the command: Ctrl, Shift & M to toggle the device toolbar
- You can now view your website on mobile, tablet, and desktop
Another quick and easy way to test if your website is optimised for mobile is by using Google’s handy mobile checker. Just type your website URL into the search box and Google will crawl your site to audit how mobile friendly it is. Best of all, it’s 100% free and you’ll get an answer in around a minute.
Ready to go responsive?
At Regency we know how important responsive web design is to creating a sustainable and highly-optimised site that lands you high-up in Google. See our web design page for recent examples of our work in this area, or get in touch with us today @ hello@regencycreative.co.uk
