Did you know that over 50% of all internet searches occur on mobile devices? So if your website is functional for a desktop or laptop but doesn’t work well on mobile devices or tablets then you are in effect cutting out 50% of any potential business. This conundrum has left many website owners and web developers asking how to create a responsive web design that functions well across all devices.
The bottom line is that a responsive website is no longer a nice feature to have and instead, it’s imperative to incorporate responsive web design if you want to stay ahead of your competition.
So what does having a responsive website mean?
Responsive web design means that your website adapts and changes depending on the type of platform, screen or window sizes it’s viewed on.
For example, the content might be separated into varying columns on a desktop screen because it is wide enough to accommodate that type of design.
If you do the same on a mobile device, however, it becomes very difficult to read and for users to interact with.
Responsive web design makes it possible for users to view the same content on any given device and get the same user experience.
Why responsive web design matters?
We’ve already mentioned that as of Feb 2021 over 50% of all searches (that’s 5.6 billion daily searches on Google alone) were carried out using a mobile device but more importantly, mobile devices have become the most important advertising channels.
Even in a post-pandemic marketplace, advertising spend via mobile devices topped AUD120 billion – up 4.8% on the previous year. If your landing pages aren’t optimised for mobile devices then you will only be maximising a small potential of your ROI.
How to create a responsive web design? – The building blocks
There are a number of core building blocks that make up a responsive web design so let’s dive in and take a closer look…
HTML and CSS
HTML and CSS are the foundation for any responsive website. They effectively control the content and layout in any given browser. While HTML controls the structural elements, CSS watches over the design and layout.
Media Queries
Media queries are vital in the world of responsive web design as they allow the designer to specify a display for a different screen size or appliance. This is fundamental to adaptive
screen size resolution. It works in a similar way to an ‘if clause’ in a basic program and checks to see whether a screen is wide enough before executing the appropriate command.
Fluid Layouts
Fluid layouts are an essential part of modern responsive web design. In previous times you would set a static value for all HTML elements like say …600 pixels. A fluid layout, on the other hand, relies on interchangeable dynamic values that adapt to the percentage of a viewpoint width.
Dynamic image control
The most basic interpretation of dynamic image control follows the same format as fluid layouts. As the name suggests, dynamic image control for a responsive website allows a fluid layout to control image width or height ensuring that it remains in proportion with the screen size.
Load speed
When considering how to create a responsive web design, the key aspect that should always remain at the forefront is load speed. According to research, web pages that have a load speed of 2 seconds and under, average a bounce rate of just 9%. Whereas a website design where pages load in 5 seconds or more often experience bounce rates of 38% or more. The good news is that there are several ways that you can incorporate speed into your website design. These include…
- Optimising all imagery
- Implementing caching
- Avoiding render-blocking resources particularly on JavaScript and CSS
- Considering a more efficient CSS layout
All are solid methods for improving load speed within a responsive website
Common responsive breakpoints
The final building block of a responsive web design includes common responsive breakpoints Often referred to as screen size breakpoints or CRB’s they are designated points at the width of a screen where you would use a media query to implement new CSS styles. For example, 360 x 640 for a mobile, 768 x 1024 for a tablet and 1920 x 1080 for a hi-res laptop.
This way you can design a responsive website for a mobile-first approach when necessary, taking into consideration factors like single columns and font sizing.
How to create a responsive web design – The implementation
Now that you’re familiar with the so-called building blocks of a responsive web design, it’s time to make your website responsive.
In this instance, you should…
- Set media query ranges with responsive breakpoints
- Size any layout elements with a fluid layout design
- Implement dynamic (responsive) imaging control
- Include responsive text (typography) for your website design
- Test responsiveness for load speed
The key takeaway
Many elements go into making a fully responsive website and without a basic understanding of the factors involved it becomes very easy to make mistakes. By familiarising yourself with the fundamental building blocks of responsive web design technology and testing as you go, it is possible to grasp how to make a responsive website from scratch.
If all of the above sounds too much to achieve, then why not talk to a team of experts. Here at Mediboost, for example, we’re Australia’s #1 patient growth agency for the dental and medical industries and a large part of what we do involves designing responsive websites that attract readers.
If you aren’t happy with your current website design, or you fancy a complete overhaul, book a free 45-minute consultation with our highly experienced team today. We can work with you to give you all that you need to steadily grow your patient base and indeed your business.
Schedule your free consultation today by calling us on 1300 163 058 and let us help you to make your business and your website design futureproof
