You may have heard the term ‘responsive’ thrown around on different websites talking about new age website design, or when you’ve spoken to a few website designers, but it’s a term that has been thrown around a lot by those attempting to jump onto the bandwagon of mobile website design.
Ultimately, yes, the term indicates that the digital design ‘responds’ to the screen size it’s being viewed on and reformats the layout. So, you don’t necessarily lose any of the content on the web page when it’s shown on a tablet, it just reorganizes itself so that it’s displayed in an easier to follow format. For example, it might drop the content in the side bar (the thing to the side of the page that lists other, supporting information) to the bottom of the page.
When your website gets even smaller, like on a mobile device, it often will remove your navigation menu and instead use a drop down menu. The version adapted for the mobile screen is often still overwhelming if the content isn’t also reduced to what users want to interact with on a mobile device. Many users decide to include particular features on a mobile phone, like a click to call feature and maps integration. These truly take advantage of the fact that the user is on a mobile phone, with more capabilities than the desktop or tablet.
With the popularity of responsive web design, a lot of website templates and template companies are jumping on the bandwagon. It’s important to remember that while it’s nice that the design adapts to the screen, it shouldn’t ignore the fact that the use of a table and a mobile phone is different from a desktop and vice versa. The content should shift in some cases and as a business owner looking to dominate the digital arena, you should consider what people want to do in different.
Author Bio: Valorie Reavis
Social Marketer, foodie, closet geekA marketing professional who has focused primarily on the hair and beauty business for of the past decade, Valorie now runs linkup marketing, a digital marketing agency for the hair and beauty professional. Valorie works to engage clients in the marketing process and help them successfully engage with their clients and community. Energetic and passionate about the industry, Valorie focuses on blending traditional and digital media in order to bring salons closer to their clients.
