A Responsive Website Design changes the layout and sizing of your website elements, based on the size of the screen upon which it is viewed.
In the old days, websites had a defined width, and sometimes a defined height. If your screen resolution did not match those exact numbers, you would have to scroll left-to-right to see the entire website.
Users are used to scrolling up and down, to see the parts of web pages that are ‘below the fold,’ but scrolling left-to-right provides some real usability problems. Now that devices are built with resolutions as wide as 2560 pixels, and as small as 300 pixels, having a defined website width creates a bad browsing experience for most people – unless the website is responsive.
Responsive websites are often 100% width, meaning that they take the full width of the browser, wide or narrow.
To see Responsive Website Design in action:
Responsive Website Design Example On a Desktop:
- Bring the cursor of your mouse over to the right hand side of your browser window.
- Click and drag the side of the browser window to the left
- Notice how the columns below shift their size and appearance
You can even set some elements to only show at certain browser widths, meaning: you can have elements that show only for tablets, only for desktop, or only on mobile.
Responsive Website Design Example On a Tablet or Mobile Device:
- Turn your device 90˚ to one side.
- Notice how these elements change their position? That is responsiveness.
“If you are willing to do only what’s easy, life will be hard, but if you are willing to do what’s hard, life will be easy.”
– T.Harv Eker
“We cling to our own point of view, as though everything depended on it. Yet our opinions have no permanence; like autumn and winter, they gradually pass away. ” – Chuang Tzu
Responsive website design is essential for SEO
Responsive website design makes it easier for customers to connect with your brand on a device they use all day long: their mobile phone.
Making the effort to build a beautiful website won’t matter, if the website can only be easily viewed on one type of device. Your website needs to look good on desktop, tablet, and mobile.
Many people search the internet on their mobile phone or on a tablet, and older web designs don’t look good on those little screens.
Responsive web design shifts the elements of your website depending on the size of the browser that is viewing it, so it looks good on every device.
Mobile friendly websites are more likely to show up in local search results, and good local search rankings give you the opportunity to connect with more customers in your area.
“Throughout the entire process of updating and re-designing our website, I was thoroughly impressed with Caelan’s work. He was consistently available once weekly for a phone conference to discuss ideas and progress, and was always available to field any questions I had. He also offered a lot of creative suggestions for the website design, and coaching and guidance for future ideas I have for our business growth, as it relates to our website. His willingness to offer further training to myself and my assistant for continued content updates to out site was a very nice bonus. Ultimately we are very pleased with his work and excited about the new website.”
I am an American expat living in New Zealand, and I have spent ten years running an online business while traveling the world with my young family. I'm a website designer, copywriter, and sales strategist who specializes in creating online courses and sales funnels for bestselling authors, business coaches, and professional public speakers. 
