15 Responsive Web Design Developer Tips and Best Practices
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With the rise in mobile devices, websites must be optimized for desktop and mobile viewers. For web designers and retailers, this means that each type of device needs a website version that is compatible. By using responsive web design, companies can reach out to more website visitors and attract new customers.
What Is Responsive Web Design?
Responsive web design is a way of optimizing websites for every type of user, device and environment. From adjusting the site for smaller screens to making flexible layouts, websites must focus on creating the best layouts for every type of user and device. The technology used within the website must automatically respond to the user's preferences for it to be effective.
Why Are Responsive Websites Important?
Google looks at the website's design and layout to determine the website's ranking. For a higher search engine ranking, companies must have responsive layouts that work for a variety of different users and devices. Responsive sites are better at scaling up or down to adjust for the device's screen size, which makes them easier for viewers to see. In addition, creating a scalable, responsive design helps websites to prepare for future devices and layouts in advance.
15 Developer Tips for Responsive Web Design
- Ensure that navigation is scalable so that the website is intuitive for every type of user or device.
- Font sizes should adjust to smaller or larger devices to maintain the right feel for the website.
- Remember that the content is the most important part. While fitting the website for every device size, keep in mind that the context and content are still the most important factors for viewers.
- Consider using hidden navigation menus to make the website easier to use and read on smaller devices.
- Put the call-to-action and important information at the top of the page so that mobile users do not have to scroll down to find this information.
- Keep the website's design simple so that only the most important features are relayed to the user.
- Try to make headings at least 1.6 times larger than the text beneath or around them so that they are clearly visible for the reader.
- Prioritize the most important content or products so that they are viewed first. For a website with many pieces of content, focus on article teasers so that the content fits easily onto the page.
- Always remember to test out the design using different devices in the real world to make sure that it actually works without a problem.
- Keep in mind that images take longer to upload, so focus on finding a balance between good images and faster page performance.
- While it seems counterintuitive, make links and buttons larger on small devices. This makes it easier for users to click the link and go to the next page.
- Make sure that the web design works for large and small screens instead of just focusing on smaller screens.
- Remember that desktop users have a mouse to navigate the screen and mobile device users may be just using their fingertips. As a result, different types of input methods must work with the website flawlessly.
- Focus on making line widths about 60 to 75 characters so that they easily fit on mobile devices.
- Icons can be used to make pages load faster and reduce the size of the website. Plus, icons can reduce the amount of text on the page and are easy to re-size
Looking for more tips on website optimization, SEO and building your companies online presence? Check out some of our blog posts like The Pros and Cons of DIY Websites and Mobilegeddon 2.0: Why Having a Mobile-Friendly Site is Critical in 2016. Follow Jet Digital Marketing on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest insights into digital marketing and growing your business online. Contact us today if you would like to learn more about our digital marketing solutions.
Sources:
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/01/guidelines-for-responsive-web-design/#more-75660
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/01/guidelines-for-responsive-web-design/#more-75660
http://thenextweb.com/dd/2015/10/19/10-rules-of-best-practice-for-responsive-design/#gref
http://www.incomediary.com/best-practices-responsible-responsive-web-design