In clinical terms, being unresponsive is bad. It means being unable to speak, move, gesture or otherwise signal any information about anything. Unresponsive websites don’t get the attention like an unconscious ER patient would, they just vegetate in their little corner of the internet.
If you’ve read this headline and find yourself sighing audibly because the thought of having to learn a dictionary full of tech-talk is painful… We hear you. Bear with us for a moment while we make it clear that you actually do need to make your website “responsive” yesterday. Whether you realize it or not, your unresponsive website is repeatedly bypassed because it’s not structured to grab traffic on any web-searching device (translation: smartphones) nor does it feature the intuitive features needed for any size screen, especially the small ones.
We're here to assure you that it’s entirely possible to understand what designers and programmers mean when they pair the words responsive and web design, and while this brief tutorial isn’t meant to make you an expert on all things web — or site — related, it will give you a lot to go on concerning a major possible source of revenue for your business: responsive web design. After all, your job isn’t to be the brains behind a website design — it’s to get out there, get found, generate leads and make money.
What is responsive web design?
First, it’s important to rid your mind of the traditional use of the word “responsive.” If you watch medical TV shows where nurses shout, “Doctor, she’s not responsive!” that may be your only familiarity with the word. In fact, a responsive web design is a fancy way of saying that the design you wind up with is intentionally formatted with the proper coding that it doesn’t matter where it’s displayed. any electronic device will deliver that content, even interactive features like buttons and phone numbers.
When we say any, we’re talking sleek cell phones, large laptops and every configuration and size of tablet manufacturers can come up with. The term has been around since 2013, when it was coined by developer Ethan Marcotte, so it’s been around for awhile. Mashable became so enamored of the idea that it declared 2013 “The Year of Responsive Web Design.” The importance of it has not diminished, only increased along with the rise of handheld internet devices. This is not going away like Pong or Palm Pilots.
What’s the difference between old and new web design results?
Once upon a time, a web design delivered “fixed” content. You clicked on a link or icon and data you sought was forthcoming, and while you may not like the way it appeared on the screen- endless scrolling and all- what you saw was what you got.
Well and good on the traditional desktop monitor or laptop screen. However, when screens began to shrink, the problems began. You’ve seen full web pages on your phone- they’re tiny. And when you zoom in, you are then only able to see a fraction of the entire page. And what’s more, many of the interactive features didn’t work. And blocks of text overlapped, making parts of the page unreadable. You get the idea.
Image: Google
Enter the idea of responsive web design. Now, all of the content you seek fits perfectly on every screen, regardless of size, so you (and the visitors you’re eager to attract) don’t have to suffer through the process of toggling from side to side or scrolling up and down.
We won’t belabor the frustration you may have suffered in the past when elements you sought to read or view were hidden, distorted or otherwise broken. That’s all been fixed thanks to advantages built into today’s responsive model.
How does a responsive website work?
Responsive websites are built using fluid grids. Those pesky pixels employed to design sites in the past have been replaced by grids and flexible elements. For example, instead of having three columns with set-in-stone widths, those three columns now stay in proportion to each other and everything stays in proportion and fits the screen.
Designers skilled at producing responsive sites factor in such variables as mouse versus touch, the time it takes for an image to load, and the options present in an app versus a website.
Remember when it mattered whether you had an iPad, Android or BlackBerry platform to receive properly formatted pictures and texts because every system used different methods of displaying data? Thanks to responsive web design, these fiefdoms are no longer a concern because digitalized fluid grids are like the amoeba: they stretch to fit environments in which they dwell, constrained only by boundaries of the electronic device delivering content.
Why do you need responsive web design?
First, it’s only going to get more diverse in terms of the number and capabilities of devices that appear in the hands of your customers. As tablets and smartphones make way for the next iterations of handheld electronic devices, you must be ready to grab or keep your market share without repeatedly rebuilding or reconfiguring your site multiple times for different devices.
Next, you want traffic from every web searcher with a pulse, but if your website configuration isn’t adaptable, your audience would be relegated to, for example, only people with smartphones or laptops. Because responsive web design meets the needs of any company — including yours — it can effortlessly move back and forth between delivering flexible layouts and media display.
Further, your customers deserve responsive web design. If they can’t count on you to make visiting your site a rich, rewarding and easy experience, why would they want to keep coming back? Your customers are experienced and opinionated about websites. They know a good one when they see it, and your competitors know this.
Where to go for responsive web design?
As a top internet marketing Savannah GA resource, creating responsive website designs is just one part of what we can do for you. Our professionals are admittedly obsessed with new technology; not just because our clients deserve it but because we like bringing on clients who tell us we’ve earned their business. Like your car mechanic and your business accountant, as your internet marketing Savannah GA partner, we want you to succeed and we’re eager to do what it takes to make that happen.
It’s important to add that while "responsive website" meets all buzzword criteria, we never lose sight of the fact that the word responsive means more than a properly configured display: it’s also the way we do business. We’ll never recommend updates, fixes, enhancements, extras and changes that you don’t need. You should be in control all your marketing efforts, and that goes for internet marketing. We’re in Savannah GA, but serve clients all over the US. Responsive? Our clients think so, and we’re ready to show you how to get maximum return on your internet marketing investment.
