Why is Responsive Website Design a Must?

The largest world-wide communications network is the Internet, and it is used by individuals, companies, governments and nearly every part of the developed world is reliant on it to some degree. The first Internet connection was made in 1969 by the United States Advanced Research projects Agency, but it was not until 1990 that the World Wide Web came into being. It was Tim Berners-Lee, a British scientist working in Switzerland, that created the Internet, and now there is very little that cannot be done online.

Technology has advanced greatly since those early years and many things in our lives have evolved as a result. The web design industry has undergone massive change. Websites must now create seamless and memorable user experiences across all devices, as well as ranking well on search engines and integrating with social media resources.

Originally, websites were designed to fit on a computer screen, and the size of the screen could alter the appearance. If the screen was larger than the site had been designed for, there would be empty space at the edges. Over time, this problem was solved, and it no longer mattered if the viewer was using a large monitor or a laptop, they would always see the site in a way that was appropriate for their device.

Then along came smartphones and tablets.

The Evolution of Smartphones

The very first smartphone was introduced in 1994 by IBM. It was called Simon but was not as popular as they had hoped. Over the first few months it barely sold 50,000 handsets and they removed it from the market after just 6 months. Microsoft introduced a smartphone in the early 2000s which was also not very successful, but the first iPhone by apple took the world by storm. The iPhone facilitated the transition to smartphones that so many manufacturers have now taken advantage of.

In 2007, suddenly there was this portable device with the processing power of a computer. The biggest problem it faced was web browsing, you would have to zoom in to make the writing large enough to read and scroll around for ages to get to the bits of the site you wanted to see. This was not an iPhone problem, but an issue with websites and how they were being designed.

Websites for All Devices

The original solution for this problem was to have a different website design for each type of device. The was very expensive and prone to errors caused by differences between devices, which was not ideal at all.

It was 2010 before the answer was found by Ethan Marcotte who suggested that a single URL, no matter what device was being used, was the answer. Responsive website design was born.

Responsive websites involve just one design that appears the same no matter what screen size is being used. From a large desktop monitor down to a small smartphone screen, the same user-friendly site appears on them all.

This made so much sense, as now there was only one site to design and maintain. As well as the lower costs involved, it also meant there were none of the problems associated with running multiple sites, because it all happened at once.

Some businesses embraced the idea and their sites quickly felt the benefit of responsive website design, but others were slow on the uptake. Google wanted to encourage its use, and in April 2015 they introduced a new ranking algorithm to their search engines that would consider whether a site was responsive to all devices. Those that were not dropped down the rankings on search engine results, which on its own is a good reason why responsive website design is a must.

Using Experts for Responsive Website Design

If you want a new website, or your old one redesigning, our friendly team have all the knowledge and experience you could need. We understand that your website is the first time many people will see your brand, and first impressions count. If it’s not an eye catching and interesting site, they will just move on to the next one. The same applies if your site is slow to load or difficult to navigate. There is much more to responsive website design than creating something that looks good. It has to be functional and provide a good user experience if you want to turn viewers into customers.

It’s estimated you have just 4 seconds to hold a viewer’s interest, so the first thing they see has to be something that will keep them on your site. Research has also shown that if you can keep them on your site for at least 10 seconds you are doing well.  This is because the time spent is one of the things search engines take into consideration when deciding on rankings. Google says most people only look at the first couple pf pages of results, so being up there among them is important.

What you really want is something that is engaging enough to encourage visitors to explore further, and the responsive website designs we create achieve that. With great written content, images and videos that will make them want to see more, your website can be inviting and interesting for everyone.

We want to create something for you to be proud of and will only be happy with the project when you are too. Our creative team will work tirelessly to produce exactly what you want in a way that enhances possibilities for your business. But that is not the end. We do not just create a responsive website design, shake hands and walk away. We will provide immediate ongoing support and help you with content of all types to keep your website up to date and relevant.

Why not give us a no obligation call on 1 525 2534 or email us at mark@juvo.ie. Having a chat with Juvo will cost you nothing but could turn out to be priceless for your business.