What is Responsive Web Design, and what makes it important?

Responsive Web Design


On average, people spend at least 3 hours browsing digital media on their smartphones. With this swing in consumer behavior, a website that works only on the desktop is not sufficient. There are millions of internet-capable gadgets out there, ever wondered how the websites can keep up with the assortment of the screens? The plain-deal answer would be Responsive Web Design. A responsive web design instinctively adjusts for varied screen sizes and viewports. With a responsive website, your website can be browsed from any device, and it will still look and function perfectly. It means, your web presence can deliver the best experience to users by adapting to different screen sizes, ranging from desktop to 5-inch screened smartphones. The term responsive web design is commonly brought up as an anecdotal slang to convey the impact of cutting-edge mobile technology.


How does it work?


A typical website is comprised of a set of files and different webpages, like About us, Homepage and etc. Each file includes HTML code and content in the form of text and images. Each of the webpages is styled with Cascading Style Sheets. To put in simple words, a standard non-responsive website has a few files and a few CSS sheets that manage the look and feel of the site. However, a responsive website utilizes an alternate set of Cascading Style Sheets with respect to the device being used to access the site. Responsive implies that a website looks and responds aptly based on the device.

For example, a person using a desktop to access website will witness a horizontally aligned navigation menu, however, someone accessing the site from their smartphones will witness a vertically aligned navigation menu, displaying larger text that is simple and easy to read on a smaller screen.


What makes Responsive Web Design important?


Not far ago, but there existed times when people would access websites only from their desktops. The majority of the Netizens had the same monitor sizes; therefore, the websites were designed for average visitors in that era. And, today there are gazillions of different devices with internet capability with screen size varying from a few inches all the way up to 32inches or even more. It won’t be wrong to say that viewing expectations have changed. Netizens today expect the website they’re visiting to be smart enough to know that they’re using a phablet or laptop. The consumers expect the site to adjust to them.


Why Business Needs Responsive Web Design?


A recent research states that a business irrespective of size must have a responsive website to gain a competitive edge in the online market.


  • Fifty-seven percent of consumers don’t recommend a business with an inadequately designed mobile site
  • More than fifty percent of web traffic comes from phones and phablets.
  • Seventy percent of mobile phone users say that they are more likely to buy from businesses that address their concerns in a responsive way.

All this makes having a responsive website important for an online business but the trickiest job to hire an efficient website designer for your needs. Forge Web Design is a leading website designer in Greenville SC that specializes in responsive websites. If you need help with your responsive website, check out their site.

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