What is Responsive Web Design And What's the Impact on User Engagement?

You know how everyone's glued to their phones these days, right? 

Scrolling through Instagram while waiting for their latte at Credo, checking emails on the LRT, or sneaking a peek at their favourite online store during a meeting. 

Mobile devices are a standard part of day-to-day life, and if your website isn't playing nice with them, you're missing out on a massive opportunity. 

Namely in the form of giving customers a mobile-responsive website. 

Experts have been talking about this for years, but you'll be amazed at how many websites I come across where the responsive design just isn't up to par and holds those businesses back.

We're talking clunky, outdated websites where text boxes and pop-ups overlap each other, buttons are too small to press, and everything pans off-screen and feels incomplete. it's not exactly going to get customers buying anything from you. Usually, the opposite.

Today, I'm guiding you through the art of mobile responsive web design, what it is, how it works, and how your website can implement and benefit from it. By the end, you'll have everything you need to know to have your website look and function flawlessly on any device, from the tiniest smartphone to the largest desktop monitor. 

What is responsive web design?

Responsive web design is the practice of building websites that automatically adjust their layout, content, and functionality to fit any screen size. 

It doesn't matter what device people use to come to your website (think iPads, smartphones, smart TVs, big curved-screen desktop monitors), your website is flexible, adaptable, and always looks good.

There are a few features and clever techniques that go into making this work, including:

• Flexible grids: Imagine your website's content arranged on a grid that can expand and contract like an accordion. This allows elements to rearrange themselves neatly on different screen sizes.
• Flexible images: Images that automatically resize and adjust their proportions to fit the available space, ensuring they always look sharp and don't slow down your site.
• Media queries: These little snippets of code act like detectives, sniffing out the screen size of the device being used and telling the website how to adjust its layout accordingly.

Now, here's where the "mobile-first" approach comes in. 

Google has been ranking websites based on their mobile experience for years. They started back in 2015, and the rollout finished around 2021. This means Google actively checks how good your website is for customers (and ranks accordingly) based on the mobile experience over the desktop one.

So, if your website is designed for desktops and looks and loads great, but perhaps you've been ignoring the mobile experience, you're doing more harm than good.

The best way to check this is to head over the PageSpeed Insights tool and run your website. Run the tool, and you'll see the mobile tab first displayed. If you have anything other than green, you've got work to do.

This is why website designers take a "mobile-first" approach. We build for mobile devices first, and then desktops second. This gives you a solid foundation where your website is optimized for the smallest screens first, and then we build for the rest from there.

Although that's not the only option, it's definitely a common approach.

To flip it in reverse, imagine building a large desktop website and trying to cram it onto a tiny phone screen. 

It's going to be a mess. 

But if you design for the phone first, you're forced to prioritize the most important elements and create a streamlined, user-friendly experience that translates beautifully to larger screens as well.

Either way, the takeaway here is to build a website for your Edmonton business that makes a great first impression, no matter how your customers choose to connect with you online.

How does responsive web design increase user engagement?

These days, user engagement is the key to success.

Everybody's bombarded with content of all shapes and sizes all day every day, much of which is glazed over and ignored. However, when you grab someone's attention and they click further (engaging with your content), this shows they're interested, and are on the first step to becoming a customer.

So, how does responsive web design help with user engagement? 

Well, it provides a positive experience when people are interacting with your website. 

Picture this: you walk into a store, and it's a chaotic mess. Products are strewn everywhere, the lighting is dim, and you can't find a salesperson to save your life.Think 4pm in a Winners. Chances are, you're not going to stick around long, right? 

The same goes for your website.

You need to set things up so people stay and explore, rather than bounce away after a few seconds. You want them clicking on your calls to action, rather than ignoring them.

Responsive web design fits into this equation by providing a seamless, enjoyable experience across all devices, making it easy for visitors to engage with your content and take action.

Here's how:

• No more pinch-and-zoom frustration: Remember those clunky, non-responsive sites we talked about? They force users to constantly pinch and zoom to read text or click on buttons, leading to frustration and a quick exit. A responsive site eliminates this hassle, providing a comfortable viewing experience on any screen size.
• Lightning-fast loading: We're all busy people, and no one wants to wait around for a slow website to load. Responsive design often goes hand-in-hand with optimized performance, ensuring your site loads quickly and keeps visitors engaged.
• Seamless experience across devices: A responsive site provides a consistent look and feel, no matter what device your visitors are using. This builds trust and credibility, showing that you care about their experience.

In a way, the best kind of experience is one that the user will never think about. They'll click around, find what they're looking for, and buy. There's no problem.

If you don't have a decent responsive design, then they WILL be thinking about the design, becoming increasingly frustrated with the experience and will end up resenting your brand and probably never coming back.

Which is a shame when there's so much you can do to get it right.

How does responsive design effects SEO?

Before we get into the technical side of things, there's one more benefit to investing in responsive design: SEO.

Long story short, if your website isn't responsive, you'll get ranked down beneath websites that prioritize it. While Google doesn't make public the actual figures surrounding this, they have stated that:

"Google's mobile-first indexing initiative will exclusively crawl and index all sites using its mobile Googlebot after July 5, 2024."

So they're crawling websites specifically with mobile in mind, and it's one of their key ranking factors because it directly correlates with a positive user experience. Give users a good experience and you're giving Google users a good experience, and you'll get pushed higher.

If you want your site to show up at the top of search results when potential customers are looking for your products or services, being responsive is non-negotiable.

But it's not just about pleasing the Google gods. A responsive site also naturally leads to a better user experience, boosting your SEO even further. Here's how:

• Lower bounce rates: When visitors have a positive experience on your site, they're more likely to stick around and explore. This translates to lower bounce rates (the percentage of people who leave your site after viewing only one page), which Google sees as a sign of a quality website.
• Longer dwell times: A responsive site keeps visitors engaged, encouraging them to spend more time on your pages. This increased dwell time signals to Google that your content is relevant and valuable.
• One site to rule them all: In the past, some businesses created separate mobile sites, but this practice is outdated and can actually hurt your SEO. A single, responsive website is easier for Google to crawl and index, consolidating your SEO efforts and improving your overall rankings.

TLDR: Get responsive and get better SEO rankings.

How responsive web design improves accessibility and future proofs your website

We've covered the core benefits of responsive web page design, but there's more to this story than just happy customers and improved SEO. 

A responsive website isn't just about adapting to different screen sizes; it's also about embracing inclusivity and preparing for the future.

Accessibility for all

Imagine navigating a busy Edmonton street in a wheelchair, only to find the sidewalks blocked or the ramps inaccessible.

Similarly, a non-responsive website can create barriers for people with disabilities, making it difficult or even impossible for them to access your content and services.

Responsive design helps to address these accessibility concerns. 

By ensuring your website adapts to different screen readers, keyboard navigation, and other assistive technologies, you're opening your doors to everyone, regardless of their abilities. It's not just the right thing to do; it's also good for business. 

A more accessible website means a wider audience and a stronger online presence.

Ready for the future

Remember those clunky old flip phones we used to have? 

Technology evolves at lightning speed, and your website needs to keep up. New devices, screen sizes, and ways of interacting with the web are emerging all the time.

A responsive website is like a chameleon, ready to adapt to any environment. 

By building your site with a flexible foundation, you're future-proofing it against whatever technological innovations come next. 

Whether it's foldable screens, voice search, or even augmented reality, a responsive design will ensure your website remains accessible and user-friendly, no matter what the future holds.

Think of it as an investment in your business's long-term success. A responsive website isn't just a trend; it's the foundation for a strong, adaptable online presence that will serve you well for years to come.

Wrapping it up

Let's recap. 

We've explored the ins and outs of responsive web design, and it's clear that it's not just a trend – it's the future of the web. It has been for years and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

In a world where people are constantly on the go, accessing your website from a variety of devices, a responsive design is essential for providing a seamless, user-friendly experience. It's about meeting your customers where they are, whether they're sipping a latte at a local cafe or browsing on their commute.

But responsive design isn't just about looking good on different screens; it's about boosting your SEO, improving accessibility, and future-proofing your online presence. 

It's a strategic investment that can pay off in increased traffic, higher conversions, and a stronger brand image.

So, if you're ready to embrace the mobile revolution and create a website that truly works for your Edmonton business, it's time to go responsive. Your customers will thank you, your bottom line will thank you, and you'll be well on your way to online success.

Ready to make your website work seamlessly for every customer? 

Contact Ignite Web Design today for a free consultation and website audit and let's create a responsive website that drives results.