What Is Responsive Web Design

Almost every business, large or small, has some sort of web presence these days. The level of the site’s importance to the business relates back to its functionality.

Is the web site simply one home page where the web user can get contact information and business hours?

Or is it a virtual storefront where orders can be placed, communication is instant through a messenger client, and custom jobs can get automatic estimates?

The complexity varies.

What hasn’t changed, however, is the forever increasing importance of a functional web presence. And this greatly involves responsive webdesign.

What is Responsive Web Design?

Responsive web design is all about adaptation. It means that no matter what platform your web site is being viewed from, be it iPhone or tablet or home personal computer, the site functions fit perfectly and in clear resolution.

After all, the dimensions of an iPhone are not the same as a twenty-one inch monitor. The screen resolution and dimensions need to be adjusted.

A business’ web site must be able to identify the device that is requesting it and adapt instantly.

A web site that cannot be viewed comfortably or easily will be passed over in favor of another, perhaps from a rival company, that has mastered responsive web design.

DomainsFlow.com on a typical smartphone and tablet

No Barriers to Use

A site that can be accessed from multiple devices with ease is one that presents no barriers to use.

For example, a site made in Flash that can’t be accessed from the iPhone limits the user to accessing it from home.

What if your future customer has a spur-of-the-moment idea for purchase or a future project and would like to use your site on the go? Unfortunately for them, they can’t.

Now they have to wait until they get home. But once they get home, the dog wants to go out for a walk or the phone rings to distract them. Now the opportunity has been lost.

No Frustration for Customers

Perhaps your web site is a simple one page domain. It lists contact information in 12-point font on the bottom righthand corner. That’s fine when viewed on a full-scale laptop screen, but it just doesn’t work for a phone running Android.

The user is forced to scroll and zoom in to blurry text before it resolves itself. If there’s more to read than a plain phone number, they have to scroll down while zoomed in and waste their own time.

Your customers deserve to be treated better.

A frustrated customer doesn’t leave positive reviews or make friendly referrals. Prevent the problem before it becomes an issue.

Ease in Adapting for Responsiveness

Although it probably wasn’t the first initial thought when the web site was built, the responsiveness of a web site is of key importance. It should change to adapt to its user, rather than force its user to adapt to it.

You could almost say that it’s a new form of politeness and common courtesy on the web.

Once the initial site is built, responsive webdesign is the very next thing that should be implemented. It saves customers a hassle and increases your business potential.

Not Sure Where to Start?

Responsive design might not be as big a mystery as you’ve imagined it. Indeed, there are frameworks and plugins that will make it much easier for you to create responsive designs.

Best of all, it doesn’t require much extra labor for you or your web designer in order to adapt the original site to different platforms.

To make it easy for you, I’ve selected some noteworty designs based on Genesis Framework that are responsive.

What Is Your Current Situation?

How satisfied are you with your current website?How valuable are your mobile visitors?

I’d love to hear your experiences and suggestions in the comment box below.