Your website needs to accommodate all computer and mobile devices
It’s 2017 – Looking back at five years responsive design
According to recent Pew Internet findings, almost half of all U.S. buyers reported they use their mobile device exclusively to research local products and services before making purchases.
Additionally, 31 percent of mobile device users say their primary internet access is via mobile devices, a figure that is rapidly increasing.
Moreover, over 90% of the people agree that they are within reaching distance of a mobile device 24/7 and 7 in 10 agree that they are more likely to buy products or services from a mobile-friendly site.
So, what does this mean for you? Clearly, your website needs to accommodate all computer and mobile devices. The best solution? In 2010 Ethan Marcotte wrote his seminal article “Responsive Web Design,” outlining how flexible and adaptive websites could use new techniques to create flexible/fluid layouts that adapt to any screen. Until then, two different versions of a site would be created, one for computers and another for mobile devices. This resulted in mobile device website versions lacking in detail, proper navigation, and acceptable formatting. With 232 different device screen sizes and over 2500 devices, the need for Marcotte’s ‘one design solution’ was clear.
With responsive design, the layout ‘responds’ to the screen size without the need for a separate mobile-friendly website – or multiple apps (one required for each device). Among the technical innovations allowing this breakthrough: fluid grid design that permits proportional alignment with screen size. So, whether a layout is squeezed onto a pocket-sized mobile device or stretched across a large screen, all of the layout’s elements are resized proportionally to one another for easy viewing. See OWDT’s brands that we work with on display in our portfolio.
When deciding on mobile device access to your website, consider the advantages of responsive web design:
- Different browsers quickly determine what kind of layout will best accommodate your site and display the content accordingly.
- It is fast becoming standard with many already using it and many more planning to do so.
- It delivers a consistent, fluid experience for viewers across all platforms while maintaining consistency of your brand’s design.
- It helps optimize your site’s Google rankings.
