Hey! Aaron here from Full Circle Design. We help companies design, build, and develop their online presence and optimize user experience. We also give you some great tips and advice here in our blog to help you get the most out of your website or app. This blog post will help you to understand the importance of a responsive website design, and how it helps your business grow online and show up on Google.
What is a responsive website?
So, what is responsive web design? A responsive website is different from a mobile-friendly website. A responsive website changes the layout of your website based on the device being used. It is designed so users can view your website on multiple devices, from large monitors to tablets and mobile phones. Remember viewing a website on your mobile phone when you had to zoom in to view a section of text and then zoom out again to select a different page? Now, because of responsive website design, for the most part, is a thing of the past.
The way it works is simple, your website reacts depending on the screen size and will change when it hits a certain screen width, these are called breakpoints. This means that the user can still experience the best version of your website and optimize the user experience.
Before we had responsive layouts for web, developers would have to build multiple versions of the same website to accommodate different screens.
Why is it important?
Think about it this way, if you see a company promoting a product online or you’re scrolling through social media, and you see a promotion for a new pair of trainers. Are you going to wait until you are at your laptop to look it up? Nope.
You are going to click through on your phone or “Swipe Up” to buy the trainers. Or maybe you walk past an office, and you want to learn more about what they do. Are you going to remember the business name and check it out when you get home? Don’t lie, you’ll forget the name of the business before you turn the next corner. Being able to view a site on mobile is now vital for any business that promotes its product or services online.
Don’t believe me? Check the stats;
Mobile devices generated 55.56% of global website traffic in 2020.
80% of consumers now shop primarily on their mobile devices.
Over 56% of all social media is viewed through mobile devices.
Over 75% of people bring their phones to the bathroom with them (there is probably someone reading this now while sitting on the jacks)
And now the big one, there are more mobile phones on earth than people!!
Designing a responsive website
Compared to a web app, and with the added benefit of no-code apps like Webflow and Editor X, responsive websites have become easier, and less time-consuming to design and develop. Built-in breakpoints and design systems allow developers to build websites that work across all devices without having to develop multiple sites for different screen sizes.
However, a few things you must consider before you start; As any good designer knows, the process is the most important aspect when designing anything. The same goes when designing a responsive website. You must design with different breakpoints in mind. A website design may look amazing on desktop but when viewed on a mobile device just isn’t usable. We won’t get into the nitty-gritty of how to design for responsiveness, that’s for another post, but the most important thing to know when designing anything, step one is always research!
Do your research!
Research will help you to figure out what device your users will be viewing your website on, where they search and how they interact with similar businesses in your industry. Think about what type of site are you designing? It could be an e-commerce site, or maybe a website to promote a store or service.
Ask yourself who is the target audience, what do they want to see or why they may be searching? Then check out the industry, what are similar businesses doing and how can your website stand out? All this research will help define your goals and create a website that meets user needs across different breakpoints.
Pro-tip; have at least 3 break points for any site, Desktop, Tablet and Mobile.
What are the benefits?
A responsive website helps your online business in many ways, not just by allowing users to view your site on all devices. It also helps improves your SEO rankings.
Check out Google's recommended website approach which shows how responsive websites will perform better on search engines because they have a greater user experience than sites that are not designed for mobile. Google also have a different search algorithm for mobile devices. Therefore, not having a website that is available on mobile devices lowers your website traffic and search engine ranking by approximately 50%.
Having a responsive site also helps lower your cost and maintenance. Yes, initial costs are higher than the standard website design but having just one website that works great across all devices is a lot easier to manage and will cost less in the long run. Just to speak on the websites we design here at Full Circle Design. Our websites are designed to run without constant maintenance or upgrading. We ‘future-proof’ your site so you don’t have to worry about your site not working on a certain device or not displaying your information in a user-friendly way.
Let me ask you a question, are you on social media? The answer is probably yes, right? In 2020 there was a recorded 3.96 billion people using social media on their mobile phones. That is 3.96 billion potential users on your website (I mean not really, but you get the point). A responsive website helps you promote your product or services too.
But how can a responsive website help my business?
I guess this is the important part, how can a responsive website help your business? Creating a responsive website for your business is like upgrading to the pro plan of an app.
It unlocks further potential for you to grow your business, more customers can view your business online and the goal is that more customers can buy your stuff.
A responsive website allows you to promote your business using all platforms and helps drive traffic through social media marketing and things like google ads.
And look, the truth is if you get in touch with us, we can design and develop an awesome responsive website that promotes your business online, but you can also do this yourself. Now with tools like Wix, WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify and Webflow (and some helpful YouTube how-to videos) anyone with a bit of time and patience can learn to create their own website.
Don't want to do it all yourself? looking for an upgrade for your website or want to build your business online? Get in touch with us now and see how we can help you.