Given the age of everything digital, so many different devices are available on the market.
One of the most prevalent devices remains to be mobile and given the current mobile internet usage, experts predict that the future will see mobile users overtaking the number of desktop users.
With these in mind, it’s only logical that brands now invest in flexible website designs. A responsive design for instance, allows a website to cater to the user’s screen size, no matter how little or large it may be. It automatically reformats to give the user a better experience, making interaction easier.
Although websites were first designed to be purely for desktop use, times are changing. Brands now scramble to find ways to cater to user experience and facilitate brand loyalty, so it’s only logical to deduce that responsive design is important now more than ever. To further understand the weight of what responsive design can offer, here is a quick guide for you.
What makes responsive design so important?
- Happy customers, great business: Responsive design essentially works well across various devices on the market, making the end user’s life easier—the happier your customers are the more successful your business becomes. So long as you keep them engaged and interested, you prevent them from seeking your competitors.
- Cost-effective, maintenance-friendly: While mobile responsiveness may be difficult to design and develop, the returns and efficiencies far outweigh the costs—with proper management, upgrades and support will only be when necessary, ultimately helping you save on costs.
- Google’s new best friend: If your business currently utilises SEO, adapting a mobile-responsive strategy will help boost your efforts. Google adores websites prioritising mobile devices—by consolidating your results and campaigns, you gain a responsive approach that boosts the rest of your digital marketing efforts and of course Google’s stamp of approval.
How do you craft an effective responsive design?
While designing for mobile may seem overwhelming and complicated, it doesn’t have to be. With the right website designer and a penchant for growth, determination and the right tips, you’ll be able to come up with high-quality design solutions. Here’s how:
- Simplicity is key: Trends come and go but minimalism is here to stay. People enjoy simplicity as it helps them focus on what they want and need. So, when it comes to providing content, less is more—you only need the essential website elements and the rest will need to go. Reduce the number of pages but remember to keep a search bar ready. Use clean lines and wide borders, all the while ensuring that your fonts are simple and easy to read. Tiny buttons will have to go—remember, less is more!
- Easy, breezy communication: As buying behaviours and consumer patterns change, communication also shifts and adapts. When it comes to discovering new brands, people need to know the answers in an instant, regardless of your opening hours. For a mobile-friendly website, remember to cater to your customer’s communication preferences. Consider live chats and chatbots as well as 24/7 support.
- Lightning speed: Your website’s loading time has always been an integral part of user experience. Google understands this, so if you wish to earn ranks and earn the approval of your target audiences, improve your site speed. A website taking longer than 3 seconds to load will cost you prospective customers and with a mobile design at hand, you’ll need your website to load—fast and furiously.
Responsive Design Future and Beyond
As we dive further into the world of digital, the internet demands more mobile-friendly accessibility—mobile devices continue to evolve faster than desktops and in the near future, mobile may indeed overtake the desktop.
With that being said, brands need to be as responsive and compatible as ever, as the only way to survive the game is to stay adaptable. Never miss the opportunity to engage with your audience—if that means switching to a responsive design, know that the transition will be well worth it!
If you’re on the hunt for web design services in Hertfordshire, Lemongrass Media is the place to call. We are a website design consultancy, specialising in building powerful websites and user-friendly content management systems. We also offer a holistic approach, ensuring that your business needs are always taken care of.
Work with our talented team of designers and developers today—give us a call!