Although responsive websites are hardly a new thing, they’re certainly a topic on everybody’s lips at the moment – by now, if you haven’t got yourself a responsive website, your consumers are going to notice something’s wrong. But unless you’re interested in graphic design and web development, you might not really know what a responsive, user-friendly website really is, or why it matters quite so much.
With this quick guide, you’ll get the most important bits of info – enough to make your way through a water cooler conversation without even needing to blag. Okay, so here goes…
Responsive web design is all about taking the knowledge that we already have about how customers choose to browse websites, and using it to design websites that they’ll enjoy browsing more.
It really is that simple, in its essence at least. Of course, actually getting a site to the point at which customers find it smooth and simple to navigate requires a lot of work, and a thorough understanding of the ways in which customers explore and consume the web.
Although everybody’s different, there are some broadly accurate generalisations that make for a better site experience:
- The website should change to suit different formats – mobile, tablet or desktop. As increasing numbers of users turn to their mobiles to browse the net, websites need to look as great on a small screen as they do on the office computer.
- The design needs to load quickly. Who has time to wait for that loading bar to inch sluggishly across the screen? It’s definitely better to compromise on something like fonts if it means that more people will actually wait for your site to load up.
- A site that works well across a number of different platforms is also great from a marketing perspective, since it allows you to start funnelling information about clicks and conversions to better understand the behaviour of separate groups of consumers.
Of course, alongside all of these core principles, the basic web design 101 ideas still apply: lots of empty space to help keep the site clean and easy to read, using call to action buttons which are clear and highly visible but not obtrusive, ensuring that the search box is easy to find and even easier to use… the things that seem simple, but actually drastically change the usability of your site.
Liquid Bubble can help bring your site up to speed with our fantastic web design services and seo services in London – get in touch today, via our online form or by calling 0208 900 1191. You can also give us a like on Facebook or Twitter if you want more tips and industry info.
