Responsive web design means that the content of a website adapts to the different devices and browsers. While this may seem trivial at first, you should consider that smartphone ownership is higher than it has ever been and is still continuing to grow worldwide. Making use of responsive design also saves you time and resources as you won’t need to create designs for different devices. To add to this, using responsive design makes your website easier to maintain in the long run.
Having a responsive website means that you don’t have to fix issues frequently as the issues that traditionally designed websites face that revolve around functionality or speed will be eliminated completely.
Given how useful it is, many of you may be wondering how to use responsive design to your advantage. To help you out, here are a few tips on how to use responsive design to improve your website:
Make Use of a Fluid Grid
The first thing you have to do is to adopt a fluid grid. A fluid grid is what sizes the elements of your site proportionally. This makes it easier to ensure that the different elements of your site are sized appropriately for screens of different shapes and sizes.
What makes responsive grids special is that they are often divided into columns where the height and widths of the elements are scaled. Keep in mind that none of the elements will have a fixed size. As such, you can set the rules for the grid by modifying your website’s CSS.
Adapt to Touch Screens
Speaking of screens, you’ll also want to take touchscreens into consideration. Because many people access websites using their smartphones, you’ll want to design your site in a way that’s responsive for both mouse and touchscreen users.
One great way to do this is to be mindful of how users navigate your website. If you make use of a drop-down menu, it might be worthwhile to style it in a way that makes it easier for touchscreen devices to choose an option on it. Generally, this just means making everything bigger because small elements are difficult to interact with on touchscreens.
Consider How Images Translate to Small Screens
Speaking of making elements on your site smaller, you’ll also have to be mindful of images. Image sizing can be difficult when it comes to responsive web design. Unlike the other elements on your site, images shouldn’t be scaled in the same way.
You’ll want to create specific rules in your CSS that dictate how images will be scaled on smaller screens. Sometimes you may even need to get rid of an image altogether when a user is viewing your site on a smaller screen.
Conclusion
Responsive web design can be a great way to improve your website. In fact, you can even go as far as to say that it should be the default way that websites are designed. Keep in mind that users today are constantly using the Internet and viewing your sites on different types of devices. Making use of static web design excludes a significant chunk of your potential site visitors, which is why you’ll want to adopt the more responsive approach!
Hello Digital Marketing can provide you with the best website design services in Calgary, enabling you to take full advantage of the latest trends and design principles. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our services!
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