Website responsiveness – why is it so important?

What do we use to browse the Internet?

A few decades ago, when the open internet was first created, browsing websites was done only on desktop computers. However, mobile phone technology has developed rapidly and today, Internet users use mobile devices much more often. Although they are more convenient, their screens are much smaller, which affects the readability of internet portals. The most popular devices in Nigeria include:

• Smartphones – the successors to mobile phones. They have small touchscreens with a diagonal of 4.5 to 7.6 inches. This significantly affects the readability of websites viewed on these devices.
• Tablets – an intermediate version that combines the mobility of phones with the convenience of portable computers. Devices with a diagonal of 7 to 12 inches are available.
• Notebooks and desktop computers – they constitute an increasingly smaller percentage of the devices on which we surf the Internet. However, this is still an important group of users. Screens with diagonals of 11 to 17 inches are available.

RWD – adapt to the user

Users use devices of different sizes, but they all expect clear and tailored websites. The best solution would be to create a separate version of the portal for each screen size. The resolution and proportions of the screen are also important here. In practice, however, this is unrealistic to do.

This is where RWD comes in, or Responsive Web Design. In short, it is a website template that reads the type and size of the user’s device to automatically adjust the layout of the content to the screen size.

Website owners can choose free solutions that work correctly only with simple website designs. More advanced, paid templates allow for better adaptation of the portal to work with different devices. However, the best effects are achieved by ordering a responsive website design from a specialist right away.

To see how much responsiveness of the website gives, just switch the viewed page in the browser options on your computer phone to the ‘desktop version’. In the case of Content Writer Nigeria’s website, the difference is immediately visible:

View of the mobile version of Content Writer Agency’s responsive website.

Content Writer site view after switching to desktop version.

What are the benefits of a responsive website?

Due to the growing number of users using mobile devices, it seems that no owner of an internet portal can stick to the computer version of their website. Among the several options, responsive websites are the most frequently chosen. They have several significant advantages.

Convenience for viewers

Using a responsive version of a website is certainly more convenient for the user. The layout of the page is adjusted to the size of the screen, so the content is legible and there is no need to enlarge it. Most often, additional bars and menus are hidden so that as much of the text as possible is visible.

A website designed exclusively for computer screens will have too small a font, and the text will run off the side edges on a phone screen. Graphics and other elements of the portal will also interfere with browsing. That is why many mobile users do not use non-responsive websites at all, and if they accidentally come across one, they leave it immediately.

Better access to the most important content on the portal

On smaller devices, the menu layout is also often changed. It is more convenient and easier to access, which makes it easier to browse content and find your way around the site. The user will reach the subpages they are interested in more quickly, which translates into a positive experience.

One page adapted to each device

In the case of a responsive portal, there is only one page design that automatically adapts to a given screen. This means that the change introduced updates all versions of the portal and there is no need to synchronize databases. This is a particularly great advantage for large projects that have a complex layout, and each content update requires a lot of effort.

Responsiveness and ranking

Using responsiveness also translates into the ranking of the website. Google management admitted that the machines take into account the RWD of the website. Additionally, this effect is reinforced by how users use the website.

Disadvantages of responsive website

Responsive websites also have some disadvantages. It is worth considering them before making a decision.

The need to test a website on different devices

There are online tools that allow you to test a responsive website on screens of different sizes. However, they are only a convenience during design. The final effect should be tested on real, physical mobile devices to ensure that the portal will be legible.

Initial high costs

The need to test the operation of a responsive website on real devices means significant expenses, while matching existing content on the portal to the appropriate responsive template can also be troublesome and may require hiring a specialist.

Desired results may not always be possible

Even the help of the best IT specialist will not always bring the desired results. In some cases, you have to create a website design completely from scratch, taking into account its responsiveness. For some owners, this may be a good opportunity to refresh the appearance of their portal and modernize it, but for others it will be a difficult step.

Differences between responsiveness and mobile sites

In addition to responsive sites, there are also mobile versions of websites. They are characterized by an additional letter ‘m’ that appears at the beginning of the address. They work on a completely different principle. It is a separate site project, intended only for mobile devices.

This means that all updates to the website must be introduced twice, separately for each version. This is a solution intended for large companies, because dealing with this solution requires more time than a responsive site. On the other hand, the initial costs are usually much lower, and an additional mobile site is easier to implement.