Responsive web design is the term used for a website that changes and adapts its appearance for optimal display on screens of all sizes, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptop and desktop computer screens. It is sometimes referred to as ‘responsive web design’, ‘RWD’ or ‘fluid web design’. Unresponsive websites do not adapt to different screens and as such can be difficult to view and navigate on small devices.
With increasing frequency, new websites are being created using responsive design techniques to eliminate the need for a separate mobile website. Such a decision also drastically improves the user experience, leading to more sales and customer interaction, since potential customers are not frustrated by small text and near-impossible navigation.
Responsive web design works by using a script to detect the screen size from which the website is being viewed. It can detect each device, be it a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, and then use CSS to display the site in an appropriate format. Images can be scaled down where necessary to fit smaller screens, text is enlarged, and menus change to a drop-down system instead of a horizontal system.
The advantages of using this type of layout over having a separate mobile version of your site are clear: when you update your site, it updates for all devices; displays correctly on all screens; Sometimes mobile sites display on tablets, making them smaller than ideal.
Many companies offer both mobile web design and responsive web design. With responsive web design techniques improving all the time, there seems to be little reason left to have a standalone mobile site unless you want to market differently to mobile users than to desktop or laptop users. For example, a fast food business may want to target people on the go with instant specials, but show laptop users their menu and upcoming promotions. However, in most cases, a website would serve all users in the same way and therefore a responsive design is the way to go.
Responsive web design is the future of websites and companies that currently build their sites without this feature are faced with having to pay for another new website in 2 years when they realize the mistake they have made. It is recommended that companies research the power and price of responsive designs before committing to any new web design project.