What is “responsive” web design? What does it mean when someone says my site is “responsive”, or “mobile friendly”? This is a questions I get asked almost everyday by clients. We created all of our websites to be responsive. This is a newer technology, so not everyone knows what it is exactly and how important it is to have on your website.
Simply put, responsive web design means that a website was built in such a way that no matter what type of device you are viewing it from: smart phone, tablet, computer etc, it will always show up correctly.
Having a responsive website means it will “respond” to the size of the screen you are opening on. This ensures you will have a good viewing experience whether you open on a mobile device or a desktop computer.
The key thing to know about responsive websites is that they provide easy reading and navigation. With a website that is not responsive you have to scroll side to side as well as up and down in order to see the full page. If the website is responsive it will automatically adjust to fit the width of the screen, so all you need to do is scroll up and down. I know for me, I personally loathe going to a website and having to “pinch my screen” to scroll in and out on a mobile site. A responsive design handles this.
Most websites will have a design that does not automatically readjust for mobile devices or tablets. This can be really frustrating when you are trying to view a site on a mobile device. With a responsive design you will eliminate that frustration and will always see a great looking design no matter what.
In the end having a website that is responsive will be not only easier for you to manage, but also easier for a visitor going to your site. This is the most important point. If someone likes viewing your site they will show it around to others and in the end you will get more traffic and business.
