Beginner’s Guide to Responsive Design in 2023
Have you ever clicked a link on your phone only to be brought to… nothing but the top left corner of a website?
How about a website with text so small you’d need a magnifying glass to read it (what is this, text for ants?), or a page with way too many columns to juggle on such a small screen?
Failing to ensure a website looks good on desktops, tablets and mobile phones is a sure-fire way to quickly lose visitors, which is why over 90% of all websites now have responsive designs. Responsive design is a way of designing websites that function well on all devices by automatically adapting to different screen sizes. This allows the website to look and function differently on a desktop computer than it will on a smartphone.
Why Is Responsive Design Important?
Responsive design is important because it ensures that your website is user-friendly for everyone, regardless of their device. Almost 60% of web traffic worldwide comes from people using their mobiles, so it's important to make sure that your website is optimised for all devices - or you could be missing a key audience.
Increased traffic
A responsive website is more likely to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), which can lead to increased traffic. Google, for example, uses mobile-first indexing, which means that the mobile version of all new websites is the one that influences your ranking.
Reduced bounce rate
A responsive website is also more likely to keep visitors engaged, which can lead to a reduced bounce rate. 73% of web designers believe that a non-responsive design is the main reason people leave websites, so ensuring your website is optimised for all devices is key for keeping people engaged.
Reduced loading times
Attempting to load a desktop version of a website on a mobile device takes longer, nearly 90% longer, in fact. And people on their phones don’t tend to be patient - over 50% say they’ll exit a website which takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Websites that loaded within 5 seconds boast 25% higher ad viewability, 70% longer average sessions, and a 35% lower bounce rate, meaning the impact of reduced loading times cannot be overstated.
Improved conversion rate
A website that loads quickly, looks good and ranks high in SERPs is going to enjoy a much healthier conversion rate compared to one which takes 30 seconds to load, looks rubbish and sits on page 38 of Google. This isn’t just due to the increased traffic and reduced bounce rate: 75% of people form their opinions about the credibility of a business based on their website.
How to Create a Responsive Website
There are many techniques commonly used in creating a responsive design for a website, and the best ones for your website depend on a myriad of factors including your chosen programming language, the software you’re using, and your desired website capabilities.
Fluid Layouts
One common approach is to use a fluid layout, using fluid grid systems like CSS Grid or Flexbox to create flexible layouts that automatically adjust to the screen size. These layouts adapt to the available space, making it easier to maintain consistency across different devices. This means that the website's elements are designed to resize and reposition themselves based on the width of the screen - no more tiny text or cut-off images.
CSS Media Queries
Another approach is to use CSS media queries. Media queries allow you to specify different CSS rules for different screen sizes. For example, you could use a media query to specify that a certain element should be hidden on screens smaller than a certain size.
Flexible Typography
Use relative units like percentages, ems, or rems for font sizes to ensure that text scales appropriately across different screens. This helps maintain readability and aesthetics. No more text for ants!
Breakpoints
Define specific breakpoints in your CSS to adjust the layout and styling of your website at different screen widths. Common breakpoints are often set for small screens (mobile), medium screens (tablets), and large screens (desktops).
Testing and Optimisation
Regularly test your website on various devices and screen sizes to ensure it looks and functions correctly. You can use browser developer tools, online emulators, and real devices for testing. Optimise your website for speed by minimising file sizes, reducing HTTP requests, and using techniques like lazy loading for images and assets. This helps improve the user experience, especially on slower connections.
BUILD A RESPONSIVE WEBSITE WITH UNBXD
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