In the current times, websites, like everything else, are ever evolving with constant advancements in technology. When talking about growing trends in web design, without doubt, responsive web pages are the next big thing. When Apple introduced the capacity to view full webpages on their iPhone, and soon after every smartphone in the word was able to do that, it became clear that surfing the internet will no longer be a desktop speciality.
Why the need for responsive websites
Nowadays people use their smartphones to browse webpages all the time. A few years ago, the general idea was to have two separate webpages, one for the desktop version, and one for mobile devices. But, with the advent of tablets, in all shapes and sizes, and even mobile phones with screen sizes ranging from 2 inches to 4.5 inches, it soon became clear that a different approach was needed. It wasn’t possible to sustain a separate webpage for each resolution and device type.
Responsive websites adapt to the screen resolution of the device they are viewed on. They come with a set of very profitable benefits that make it an ideal investment in today’s market.
Huge cost savings with Responsive web design
Since one website fits all, and that same site adapts to different screen sizes and resolutions, there is no need for investing in a different website for each device. Maintenance cost and effort for so many separate websites can be high, and providing different content for each of them will be a pain. Responsive design saves a lot of money and man hours in hosting and maintenance in this regard.
Less work and easy analysis
When you have one page to monitor and analyse, it becomes a lot easier to combine the statistical information into useable data, either to target a specific audience, or to mend flaws in a marketing campaign that reflects in traffic.
Search engine optimisation
Although accessing a webpage on a mobile device is a common phenomenon these days, search engines still do not rank mobile web pages according to the traffic they generate. So if your webpage has two versions, and it is very popular for people who view it with their mobile devices, and not so much with desktops, well, you will be judged by the traffic to your desktop site.
You will show significant lower rankings. This problem can be easily solved with responsive web pages with the help of a design service. A single website will be monitored for traffic, and your PR will improve.
Linear learning curve
Someone who is familiar with browsing the desktop site may not find it easy to work on the mobile site in case they are two separate pages. But, with responsive web pages, since both carry the same format, adjusted and resized to requirement, the viewer has no problem in using either. In other words, there is no need to probe around in a totally new website.
Improved user experience
Since the user is freed from a lot of hassle and the need to memorize separate addresses, the overall user experience turns out to be far better, and this can ultimately lead to higher traffic, and an increased viewer to client conversion rate.
Responsive websites are the thing of the future. With the gap between mobile and desktop computing bridging exponentially, well, the time has come to choose the responsive approach to designing websites.