Responsive Web design

boxer — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 17:32:31 +0000

What is responsive web design?
The first smartphone was a cellphone designed with Web access. This was over twenty years ago, and during much of that time, smartphones received little attention, but as more and more people began using them, concern over how a site will look on a mobile screen, has increased. The result was the birth of a whole new branch of web design known as “responsive,” which has been in existence since 2004.
The importance of responsive web design
Web experts expect that before the end of the decade, smartphones will have displaced desktop PCs as the most commonly-used method of accessing websites. This is why you need to keep responsive in mind when building your website. Most webpages include videos and images, which need to be resized to fit mobile screens. Site mobilization gives companies a competitive edge, not only because of more visitors, but also better user experience on all devices.
According to Google, 90 percent of the population uses may devices at a time by shifting from one device to another, whether to perform the same search or to email themselves a link to visit later. Cross-device link integrity is thus becoming especially crucial.

Google and responsive web design
On April 21, 2015, Google announced an update to Google’s algorithm, known as Mobilegeddon. Mobilegeddon gives better the top rankings for websites whom have adopted a responsive web design or a mobile redirect for their mobile users. One result of its introduction is that the gap between desktop and mobile rankings is greater than ever before. Another is that, for sites without multiple-screen optimization, things will only get worse. “The genie,” says Search Engine Land in a May 7 article, “is not going back in the bottle.”
Best practices
Here are a few of the best RWD practices:
• focusing on breakpoints or pauses — These vary with screen size; for instance, 768px in larger smartphones.
• making flexible, workable images — There is a tool called Adaptive Images that eases this task.
• eliminating non-essential content — Things that do not work for mobile can be classed “.not_mobile.”
• remembering the “bottom line” — This always works for businesses.

Article Contribution:
Craig Smith, a Dallas Responsive Web Designer. Specializing in custom design and WordPress Development.

The post Responsive Web design appeared first on Boxer the Horse.