Responsive web design is to put it simply, about planning out the design to "respond" to the change in environment, size of the screen, browser type, or application. A good designer will plan not only for a large desktop, but also tablets, and mobile devices as many users will experience your site on multiple sizes. Developers use media queries, column layouts, responsive images, and font sizes adjusting to improve the user experience on mobile phones, tablets, and desktops so that the web page looks it's best on any (*or almost any -- I'll get to that in a minute) screen size.

A responsive web design will make any task you need to do, or content you want to read accessible and easy to use on any device.

How do I know the designer is planning for responsive design?

Ask! Seriously, have a conversation with anyone you're looking to hire to handle the design of your site if responsive design is part of the plan. If there is any pause than I recommend moving on as this is critical to a good user experience, which in turn affects how well your site will do in searches.

What should I look for in a good responsive design layout?

Look for a nice reflow of the content you have on your site, as well as images resizing appropriately for the mobile devices you test it on. It shouldn't have lots of overly long scrolls, super huge images, or buttons too small to use on a small screen. The responsive layout should still feel like your site, but in a smoother, sleeker, smaller screen layout. Font sizes should also adjust accordingly so the headers of the page are not too big, and the content should not be too small. Grids for content and imagery will usually pare down to one column layout.

Should responsive layout testing be part of your development process?

Absolutely! When you're working with your designer and developer on the site build, there should be multiple rounds of reviews and they should include various screen sizes and devices. Media queries will be created by your developer to distinguish between a desktop device and a mobile phone. Make sure to have them review where their breakpoints are for the site and if you have analytics data available see what percentage of your users typically use a certain device width or screen size and optimize the pages to make those user experiences shine! You want them to come back to the site often and like using your web page, so make it a really good web page for them.

Interactivity is also critical on mobile devices

Make sure pop ups resize appropriately, and that buttons, links and menu toggles are accessible to a finger tip size, otherwise they will prove frustrating for the user.

Consider accessibility as well

I have also been really pushing clients to consider accessibility when designing a website as well. This applies to all forms of the website, not just mobile and responsive web design. Color choices and contrast should also be considered. You do not want to put a light gray button on a white background. This is difficult to see for many users, and phones they may have contrast turned down. Try to make sure content is still readable, and not too small. Make headlines not to big and thus difficult to read and not mobile friendly.

Any device width?

I typically get a site to the point that 98% of the users are having a good experience -- this isn't to say that things will always be perfect. I had a client not long ago moved her browser window on her desktop to be so short, that you barely could fit the header, much less the content. She was upset because this obscure proportion she had chosen didn't look good. The device width initial scale will have some proportions considered in the result. Tablets and other devices as well will have a typical proportion to them. But obscure ones may be missed, so if you feel those are important, communicate that to your designer and developer ahead of time so they can plan accordingly. There may be extra time billed if some odd device few people use is important to you, but if it is, please say so!

So let's recap responsive web design:

1. Font sizes should be reconsidered: headlines, body copy, etc.
2. Responsive Images: Images should resize for devices, and consider load times.
3. Accessibility and interactivity: buttons and links are not too small to click
4. Reflow of content that still makes sense: Images are in a meaningful relation to the content.
5. Column layouts that have content and fields (in forms for example) that are easily used: not too narrow or too wide and reflow to a single column layout on smaller screens.
6. Max width on images and content should definitely be added for desktop. Content should really not be wider than 800px or so.
7. Large desktop banners for instance should not be so large that the user experience is awkward to get to real content.
8. The viewport width breakpoints should make sense and align to devices most commonly seen visiting your site.

If you have questions about any of these elements, shoot me a note! I love talking clients through the crazy world of web design and responsive web design.

The battle of the titans in the modern era in regards to eCommerce has been the war between WooCommerce and Shopify. I constantly see the battle play out, and there are die-hard proponents on both sides. There are people who decide to say one functions better on various platforms and there are some who believe in one service to rule them all, doesn’t matter what platform you are trying to pull under your eCommerce umbrella.

WooCommerce is a service I keep seeing a plethora of pros and cons mentioned in comparison with Shopify, with the research I’ve done I think a good portion of the cons can be mitigated by just informing yourself. To me, their platform is a little more profitable for business owners. Shopify used to dominate the space but we all knew there were some cons but we were made to just live with them. That is until a new company decided to broach the space. Then came the new kid on the block, WooCommerce sprang onto the scene to create an awesome service for us die-hard WordPress site owners.

For our clients, I like to give them the stats for both services and allow them to decide what works best for them… there are instances I feel I would be remiss to not recommend one over the other depending on their skill level, team size, product sizes and variations.

This is where a personalized consultation comes into play. No one can just look at one aspect of your business and find a solution that is going to work best. We believe in the multifaceted approach, which includes your branding, social media, and web presence.

If you are currently feeling like you are mired in the debate on which is more profitable for your company or personal brand message us and let’s explore your options.