Suppose your company is looking to update its web presence into 2014 and beyond. You’ve been happy with your existing website but you know it’s time to go in a new direction. You think it’s all about having a new look for your website and perhaps some new programmatic elements, as well. You think that’s all there is to it, until one day you hear these words: ”Responsive.” And that’s when you realize, maybe you could use some advice. Well, you’re in luck. Keep reading for best practices in responsive web design.
Responsive Web Design
Responsive Web Design is all about flexibility and convenience a la 21st century marketing trends. Essentially, it is design that is viewable through all devices: mobile, tablet, desktop. The most revolutionary thing a business could ever hear. Why? Because of a few alarming facts: 90% of people in the world have a mobile phone and 55% own a smartphone 50% of people use it to go online while 80% of time is spent inside in apps 70% of tablet owners make purchases online directly from their tablets each week 35% of cell phone owners rather use their phones than a desktop to surf the web In other words, if you really want to see your business flourish like never before, you need to target your audience. And your audience does not use desktop computers anymore.
The answer though, is not to remove your website, but to create a responsive website. A website that can be viewed across all devices. Convinced? Here’s What To Do Before Brand it Before jumping on the responsive bus, you need to have a good idea on what brand will captivate your audience and communicate with them clearly and effectively. A brand is not just a logo, it is an international language. No matter where you are, or what country you’re in, your brand doesn’t need translating. Branding is a necessity if you want to see your business thrive in national and global levels. Not only that but human psychology also approves that people are more into visuals than written text. To engage your audience even further, I highly recommend your business considers branding.
Social Media
Have you heard the news lately? Out of the 313 million people living in the U.S., 250 million report using the Internet. And 166 million out of that report using Facebook. That’s 56% of Americans that claim to have at least one profile on any social networking site. And of course, 54% have used Facebook via their phones. Again, looking at these revealing facts, social media appears to be a great and opportune outlet for any business. There are three types of layouts when designing for responsiveness.
Fluid Grids – This layout is flexible and based on a grid system. The way that the website looks on the desktop gets carried over to other devices through a systematic and structured box method. It’s not based on pixels but on fixed percentages. This layout will give your site uniformity with not a lot of hard core coding. Flexible Media – One layout to rule them all! The flexible media does not discriminate against devices. It literally just re-shapes itself automatically to fit the desired device. It’s convenient and based on adjustable percentages. The browser in this case does all the work, but the coding behind it is not the easiest to pull off.
Media Queries – For those who are tech-savvy, they may enjoy media queries. Basically, you create your own styles and fixed percentages. This allows you to completely customize your design to your liking. Therefore, the website on your desktop might look different on a mobile device. Some videos, or captions may be omitted and other features added. It all depends on you. More information: If you are looking for a responsive design agency with experience in a variety of B2B- and consumer-oriented industries, check out Merit Mile. The agency specializes in branding, responsive design, marketing, PR and social media all in the name of creating business momentum for client partners. To learn how you can leverage a responsive design experience, schedule a meeting with Merit Mile today.