Responsive web design has become the darling of the Internet, and it certainly as its reasons. Most sites will talk about the technical implementation and the benefits RWD has with mobile devices. Kristina Kledzik talked about the SEO of Responsive Web Design, and this covers some of the intangibles of responsive web design that are really exciting. It proves that responsive web design isn’t all technical.
Positive user experience leads to engagement
A lot goes into the planning, design, and development of the responsive website. A well-designed user experience that works for all screens and resolutions can improve user engagement. Think back to the last site you visited on your phone or tablet that didn’t have a responsive design. Did you stay very long? Did you engage with the site’s content? Once the user experience improves for mobile devices you’ll likely see a boost in results.
Content becomes part of the design
It used to be about using “lorem ipsum” whenever you were creating designs. Now it’s more and more important to preview “live” content and how it looks in multiple resolutions. Does your content flow easily? If someone is viewing your content on a mobile device, how much scrolling is required? How do images layout within your text? Do bullet points look great? Content becomes the focal point as it should.
Responsive web design and web analytics
I used a plugin for some time to render my website for mobile devices. The problem with the plugin was my navigation was lost, and the user experience definitely diminished. Early in 2012 I launched a new responsive web design and watched my metrics.
Overall traffic improved shortly after the design was launched in February. Mobile traffic also increased 1000%. Written content didn’t change. The design was improved. User experience improved and users were taking advantage of the opportunity to interact with me.
Responsive web design is still young
It’s being talked about a lot, but there are still only a few sites in the overall landscape that take advantage it. Mobile traffic increased by 139% in 2012. Responsive web design will become more important in 2013.
Are you interested in a responsive design for your website? Start the conversation today.