What is responsive web design and why does it matter? Explained simply, a website or web page can be considered responsive if it changes or adapts depending on the screen size / device being used. Though this is rather easy to understand, the benefits of using such responsive web design are less understood.

First, a distinction must be made. A website can be mobile-friendly, but not responsive. That is to say, a website can be designed to be attractive for mobile, but when it is used on a desktop PC or a laptop, problems arise. It may resize improperly or be full of glitches. Responsiveness works both ways.

Why is it so important that a website works on both a computer screen and on a mobile device? In part, because for the first time in 2016, more people browsed the web on mobile phones than on desktops for the first time ever. This means the landscape has changed; the mass rollout of 4G internet has made mobile phones the main source of media content for most internet users. In some poorer countries (in Africa, poorer parts of China, etc.) mobile phones may be the only way of viewing web pages. That’s why it’s so important. If your web page isn’t responsive, you’re blocking millions of people from even being able to use your website, let alone consume any of the content.

This is particularly important for businesses. Now that people are turning to their phones in order to purchase goods, read reviews about items, and watch videos featuring those items, companies need to have websites that work for the people viewing them. But there’s also another aspect to this. Google rewards websites that are fully responsive. What I mean by that is, for SEO purposes, you need your website to be responsive. Responsive website appears higher on Google’s search lists and so if you’re a company with a product to sell, you’re only harming yourself by not investing in a fully responsive website. In the modern climate, it’d be foolish to neglect.

It’s also just plain cost effective. Maintaining two separate websites (mobile and PC versions) is pointless. Using a responsive design means you don’t need to pay for a mobile website, you can simply make small changes that effect your entire site and it’ll appeal to all visitors. Such is the power of effective web design.