The days where your blackberry took fifteen minutes to load a website are gone. Today users expect their phones to connect to a polished, professional website. Statista reported around 50 percent of browsing is done on mobile devices. So how does a business make sure its content looks good no matter where customers find it. They turn to responsive web design.
Responsive web design creates websites that change based on the hardware they are running. Most people are familiar with this. Think deleting emails on your phone versus your computer. But how do you make sure your website is fluid like this? What are some standard practices of responsive web design?
Size Matters: Responsive Scaling
Most websites designed for computer screens plan for large monitors. And why wouldn’t they? If you have space, you should use it! But scrolling endlessly from side to side on the phone won’t do. Because of this, scaling is critical. So responsive web design focuses on identifying what’s essential to scale.
Menus are often oriented vertically for phones, and instead of complex series of popups, mobile designs often just load a new separate subpage. Similarly, it’s essential to put what’s important first. The limited space on mobile models shouldn’t sacrifice your message.
Scaling doesn’t mean a brand new website. The essential things are still just as important. So it is vital to prioritize what users will need the most. Because of this, it’s sometimes helpful to design your mobile website first. Once you have the critical information, it’s easy to expand. But developing your mobile site at a smaller scale can help companies solve design issues.
Responsive Design Aesthetics
A big screen generally makes it easier to see fine details. And that if a particular look is central to your brand? Sometimes these details are vital to the user experience. And you shouldn’t lose that in the mobile design. So how do we preserve these aesthetic choices while scaling? Responsive web design solves this in a few smart ways.
The first is scalable vector graphics or SVGs. These files are designed not to lose resolution at any size. This is huge for responsive design because it allows for almost every dimension of the screen without compromise for others. SVGs also tend to be smaller files, which will help loading speeds! But other design decisions matter too. In the past, we’ve talked about speeding up websites, and reducing graphics size is an easy way to do this.
Some fonts rely on size heavily to be read. And certain color combinations blend together if designs get intricate. Almost every aspect of a website matters when its changing size. An example of this is the buttons. A computer mouse is a fine point, but the human finger is not. Mobile web design accounts for touch screen operation with bigger buttons and sometimes having separate designs for the mobile and desktop versions.
Benefits Of Mobile Websites
Responsive design isn’t all drawbacks. Phones have an incredible range of functions that web browsers can activate. Creating engagement can be hard. But phones make it so easy. You can use a button on your mobile website that connects users directly to you via phone! Using the tools on the phone can help create a fluid and comfortable user experience. This also makes it easier to let users take action right away.
Another benefit of mobile design is a clear call to action. Because you have limited space, often, your call to action becomes very apparent. This is a good thing when combined with other mobile tools. Users can figure out what they should do and get it done. No more endless sticky notes or yellow pads, mobile design solves these problems.
Responsive Web Design
If you’re ignoring mobile web users, its time to reconsider your web design, a significant portion of users are mobile users, and they deserve consideration. So a website that can run on any hardware is a must-have in today’s business world. That’s why companies turn to responsive web design. By focusing on the issues that hinder scaling a website, responsive design helps create a smooth user experience.
Responsive web design tackles these problems by providing tools to help websites scale up or down. This tactic requires some critical decisions before it can start. Preserving the look and feel of your website is essential. So scaling can’t come at the cost of your branding. Tools like scaling graphics, button design, and layout all help make the website versatile.
Responsive web design requires a thoughtful approach to a companies needs and content. Sometimes responsive design even requires an entirely new plan. But the professionals are here to help. Kallen media focuses on ensuring our client’s content is high quality no matter what people use to find it. If you need help going mobile with your website, contact Kallen media via our website.
