Ask any leading web design company in Salem, and they’ll tell you the same:
Responsive web design represents the future of all web design.
Now more than ever, large and small businesses alike are making the switch to responsive web design and reaping a world of benefits. But what exactly is responsive web design? Or more importantly, how does responsive web design work, and what are its advantages over traditional web design?
Detailed below, you’ll find all the information you need to get to grips with this new 21st-century web design and development standard.
What is Responsive Web Design?
In the simplest terms, responsive web design is a forward-thinking approach to web design and development, which prioritizes mobile web users. The idea being that with effective, responsive web design, every user enjoys a seamless online experience, irrespective of the size and type of device they use.
Responsive web design has become increasingly important over the years as mobile audiences grow worldwide. In many key regions, mobile web traffic has already comfortably overtaken traditional desktop web traffic.
A point that further illustrates the importance of providing a quality user-experience, irrespective of the device used to access your website. Not only this, but Google has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to websites and online businesses that deliver the best possible mobile experience.
Hence, a high-quality, responsive website could also have a positive impact on your wider SEO profile.
How Does Responsive Web Design Work?
It was in the wake of the launch of the original iPhone that online businesses and developers began viewing desktop and mobile web experiences differently. It was acknowledged that a small Smartphone touchscreen couldn’t possibly accommodate the same rich detail and information as a much larger computer or laptop monitor.
At this time, some made the decision to create completely separate websites for their businesses – one to suit desktop users, the other for mobile traffic.
Ultimately, this approach turned out to be not only unsustainable but completely impractical. The reason being that in order to cater to every different type of device, every screen size and every browser going, you’d need to build dozens of different versions of the same website.
Instead, it was determined that a better approach would be to create a single dynamic website, capable of automatically adjusting to suit the device, the screen size and the browser of the user respectively. Hence, responsive web design as we know it today was born.
A complex and demanding approach to web design, responsive websites instantaneously adjust themselves to provide the best possible user-experience for every user – whatever the device.
What Is ‘Responsive Web Design Principles’?
Putting the theory into practice, there are three primary web development principles that underpin the design process:
- Fluid Grids
- Media queries
- Flexible images and media
Fluid Grids
The term ‘fluid grids’ refers to the very linchpin of responsive design – the creation of a flexible framework that can adjust to suit devices of various shapes and sizes. It’s a departure from traditional pixel-based design principles, in that it allows everything presented on screen to be moved, scaled and presented in different formats. This forms the primary basis of the responsive website, upon which everything else is layered.
Media Queries
Also referred to as breakpoints, media queries are used to apply different styles in accordance with the shape, the size and the capabilities of the device used to access the website. For a working example of media queries, all you need to do is decrease or increase the size of the window you’re currently using to browse the web.
You’ll see almost every aspect of the page’s content restructuring itself automatically, in accordance with the height, the width, the aspect ratio and the orientation of the window.
Flexible Images and Media
As the name suggests, this responsive web design principal refers to images, video clips, and general media on the page that can be scaled to fit devices and screens of various sizes. The idea being that irrespective of the size and type of device used to access the content, the quality of the images and media remains unchanged.
Ultimately, responsive web design is about ensuring every user enjoys the same high-quality experience, as opposed to some being presented with a diluted version of the real thing.
Hiring Help
For obvious reasons, responsive web design is a significantly more complex and demanding approach to web development than traditional static web design. However, it’s now considered the only acceptable approach to web design for the forward-thinking business.
The good news being that in the hands of a skilled web design company in salem, even the most demanding responsive web design project can be completed smoothly, seamlessly and at an affordable price.
If you currently operate a static website of any kind, a complete conversion to responsive design can be performed. If you’re considering a complete new-build, your website can be engineered to appeal to all users from day one.
In any case, you really can’t afford to continue short-changing mobile audiences with a poor imitation of your desktop website. For more information or to discuss your requirements in more detail, call today – we’re standing by to offer our full support.
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