It is believed that the year 2013 is the year of responsive design. It is no longer an idea of the future and is very much a part of the present. Every website will be accessed from different devices like computers, tablets, and smart phones, each made by a different manufacturer with varied specifications and yet the user experience needs to be the best for all these devices.
A mobile user will access all the websites that a desktop user may access, provided they are presented in an accessible manner. Irrespective of the screen size, the user will access the website based on his or her convenience. Building an application for every device is not possible. Therefore, the most economic and practical solution to this problem, faced by all companies, is Responsive Website Development that change the resolution of the website based on the device it is being viewed on, to provide users with an optimal viewing experience across different varied devices. In a way, you provide the website with the intelligence to recognize the user’s environment and react to it accordingly.
If you are looking at developing a responsive website, here are 5 basic rules for successful Responsive Web Design:
Though content is king, it can’t be too long for websites and too short for mobile devices. The user expects some amount of content but don’t be too liberal with stuffing the website with too much informative content. Instead just add important content to the website which can easily fit on all different sizes of screens, making it easier for the user to access the information he or she needs.
Creative layouts look great when viewed on a desktop or a tablet but may not be easy to navigate through on a smaller screen. The resolution too differs from screen to screen. Therefore, keeping the layout simple will work better than going big on the creative quotient.
When the viewing device changes, the navigation of the website would change which makes designing responsive websites tricky and challenging for any website designer. Therefore, while designing 70% of focus should be given on navigation while keeping in mind that the users may use touch screens as well as QUERTY keypads.
Responsive website designing is the preferred solution for multi device support. Therefore, when you design a responsive website, it must be tested with different devices, varied screen sizes and solutions along with testing on simulators. There are new devices being launched every month, therefore, it is essential to test the website on the maximum number of websites to ensure greater performance and zero glitches.
Responsive websites will be viewed on different devices with varied Internet speed; all of which may not be broadband speeds. Therefore, the website must be built with light objects that load quickly on all devices. Enhancing user experience is key and quick loading websites will encourage users to use the website more.
eTraffic Web Design is an Australian owned Web Design & Online Marketing Company providing digital services like web design, SEO, Search engine marketing, Google Pay per click, mobile applications, social media design etc. designed to help businesses find online success.