Responsive design is clearly the buzzword and the latest trend that has been doing rounds in the world of design and development today. According to a recent study, the scope of responsive website design is sure to grow more in recent years. As the statistics say, around 29 per cent of users have already switched to mobile phones from desktops in U.S.A solely. Needless to say, maximum mobile websites have been created from responsive templates.
However, the debate that persists over this particular approach with respect to it being a hype or solution is yet to find a definite answer. Here is a quick look at some of the interesting facts in relation to the particular framework that might change your perception about the same:
Top Interesting Facts about Responsive Website Design
1. Search engines advocate the approach
For those engaged in the argument stating that this framework brings down search engine results, Google has already released a statement advocating the use of this particular approach towards website design and development. The webmaster guide of Google recommends the webmasters to follow the best practice prevalent in the industry i.e. embracing responsive design. This particular approach of designing a website makes it easier for search engines to crawl your site, which in turn strengthens your online presence and generates more traffic to the same.
2. Display does not affect load times
This framework though stands for faster and easier experience of web browsing, it does not ensure effective loading of web page on screens featuring less resolution. This means that the site will respond with equal time constraints even if the content is less. The actual essence of the approach goes much beyond the fact that it ensures fitting everything well on a screen. Though, image compressing is largely advocated, it does not bring upon any change on the load time. Therefore, the idea of embracing design just because it will load differently on a range of devices makes no concrete sense.
3. It might end up being confusing to the users at times
The best example that stands in this respect is personal blogs. The standard design that is followed by most blogs feature the post on one side and the index on the other side. Adding to it is a plugin that is placed above the index with the social networking buttons being placed below the index. While websites designed for desktops follow this traditional route, a few of blogs appear differently on mobile and desktop displays. You can easily judge the difference while comparing such kind of a blog on two different devices simultaneously. The display that is smaller comes with all the essential features, but you might need to scroll through the page for having a look at them.
4. Maximum testing is required
A responsive design needs to cater to the accessibility factor of a range of devices. The primary goal is to highlight all features in different devices. Therefore, it is essential to conduct functional and non-functional tests repeatedly to ensure optimal performance across all devices. Additionally, you might also give a try to the website in different browser and test its performance ability.
5. Maximum websites can be made responsive
This is another aspect related to the framework that is sure to make the followers of the trend happy. Transforming traditional sites into a responsive one is no big task. However, it is to be noted that sites featuring huge database and HD videos might not produce successful results. On the brighter side, most of them can be redesigned to fit the same into the world of responsive design, thereby saving cost, time, and effort.
6. It influences SEO campaign directly
Responsive website design is broadly theorized to reduce the need of having a separate website developed for mobile devices. This particular approach that focuses on the concept of developing a design once and running across a range of devices is result-oriented and cost-effective. Moreover, it reduces the need of engaging in several SEO campaigns for sites developed for different devices.
In addition to these above-mentioned facts, it must also be kept in mind that the framework is merely a trend and should not be ever considered a technology of the modern age. Furthermore, it should also be noted that responsive design is not equal to a mobile website design. Keeping all these factors in mind, it can still be said that website design is here to stay and dominate the industry for a few more years to come until the advancement of a new technology sweeps away the trend.