Responsive Content - One Design, Every Channel

What is responsive content? A Brief History

Responsive content has been around for almost two decades now, and it’s been changing the game from the start.

Also called responsive web design, responsive content is a design method in which the content adapts to the device which is being used to view it without losing any form or functionality.

Responsive content ensures your digital content can be displayed on any screen resolution or device- including smartphones, iPads, and even billboards. Think of it as a one-size-fits-all design philosophy.

Responsive content was revolutionary at the time it came out because designers and web developers no longer had to create multiple sets of content for smartphones, tablets, and desktops. Then, cell phones were still devices for quick information like addresses or phone numbers, and people generally needed a computer to experience the full range of content a website had to offer.

But now, because of responsive content and design, users can seamlessly switch between their phones, laptops, desktops, tablets, and even smartwatches to access all the content they need, no matter where they are or what device they’re using.

Responsive content is not only beneficial for the user, but also for the designer or web developer. Here are some of the benefits we get with responsive content and web design.

Benefits of Responsive Web Design

Attract More Traffic and a Larger Audience

Intended target audiences can access websites with responsive content through a wide range of devices, regardless of the make, shape, and size. Responsive content will suit them no matter where they're accessing the website from.

This opens the doors to a much wider range of potential users and brings in significantly more traffic.

Faster Page Loading Speeds

If a site isn't designed for mobile devices like iPhones or iPads, it will take longer to navigate, driving customers away. Responsive websites use optimized techniques like caching to make your web pages load faster.

Higher Conversion Rates and Lower Bounce Rates

Potential website visitors don't want to be kept waiting with a sluggish, slow-to-load site. They want information quickly and easily. If a website isn't functional on the device they're using, they'll leave and seek out info elsewhere.

With faster load speeds, simple and intuitive navigation, and a clear call-to-action, a responsive website will lead to lower bounce rates and start converting customers.

Better Customer Experience for Users

Users will only spend a few seconds on a website before they decide whether they want to stay on it or not.

The first impression a website gives is crucial, so whether a user visits the website for the first time on their laptop, smartphone or iPad, the customer experience should be consistent and positive, no matter the platform.

If users have to keep pinching, scaling, and rotating the screen, the experience becomes frustrating and they'll be likely to abandon the website altogether.

Faster Development and Less Maintenance

Designing a single responsive website takes far less time than developing separate content for a phone, tablet, and desktop.

Even if you have to pay a bit more in the beginning, you'll end up saving time and money in the long run. Since responsive content adapts itself to have optimal layouts regardless of the screen resolution, you won’t have to constantly update your content for all different platforms.

Enhanced SEO and Easy-to-Read Analytics

Responsive content is becoming increasingly vital for search engine optimization. Instead of having multiple web pages for different platforms, having one website with responsive content eliminates the issue of duplicating content, which can harm your ranking in search engines.

Having a different design for each site also makes it harder to monitor analytics for multiple websites. With responsive content, all your analytics will be in one place, saving you a lot of time and effort.

Conclusion

Responsive Content - One Design for Any Delivery Method

Responsive content is a web design method that allows websites to load properly and maintain their design regardless of the device that the viewer is using.

For example, with responsive content, a developer only needs to create one website design, then anyone can see it on a desktop, tablet, or a smart phone. In other circumstances, the developers would need to manually make a desktop version, a cell phone version, a tablet version, etc.

There are plenty of benefits to making your websites with responsive content, including:

• Facilitating SEO
• Gaining more traffic
• Quicker load times
• Less time spent on development and maintenance
• Higher conversion rates, i.e., more people buying products from your Shop Now page
• An overall better customer experience

We highly recommend utilizing responsive content for all the reasons listed above. If you’re not taking advantage of it yet, now’s a great time to start.