Viewing web sites across devices is a very common experience nowadays. In other to maintain a consistent branding message is important to present web pages adequately across a wide range of devices. Responsive design is a display and rendering technique that makes possible serving the same page across a wide array of devices.
The first step involved in RD is page sniffing or having a program figure out the type of system the page is being displayed in. Afterwards, the page layout will have fluid options so it adapts to vaious screen sizes. However, sometimes toolbars and buttons won’t quite fit on small screens, so their presentation must be crafted in different formats and then code should be written to pick the best option.
Having an adequate design is crucial to increase conversion and to decrease load times while saving on web hosting costs. HTML5, Javascript and CSS frameworks help in producing responsive websites. Testing and heatmap analysis can further guarantee that an implementation is fully functional and provides the needed level of performance. Some things, however are not possible and require additional tooling or testing.
For example, A/B testing (a form of statistical analysis used to determine the best possible web page layout) is not easy to perform in responsive designs. Web designers must test each webpage multiple times in different environments and usage scenarios. If your budget or staff are limited, is best to stick to proven templates and avoid complex new layouts. However a very well crafted responsive design can save the corporation millions if the traffic to its website is substantial. Having one interface to perform several tasks means less programmers, less support specialists, less documentation and a lesser load on database systems and web services. Responsive web design is a must-have in modern websites.
In some instances, a responsive website can ease the production of an iPad app or make possible to forgo it all together. RD increases conversions by raising the familiarity of customers with your brand and establishing a consistent visual language that makes customers already know what to do.
A faster loading site crafted with RD in mind allows your company to sell more products with the same capital expenditures in servers and telecom costs. Althought, in time most sites will use responsive design, right now it is a competitive advantage that can save your company millions if well implemented.
