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Responsive Web Design: The Next Great Hope or All Hype?

RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN THE NEXT GREAT HOPE OR ALL HYPE? As mobile devices like smartphones and tablets are catching up to desktops and laptops as primary ways to access the Internet, it's becoming clear that one size-or website-no longer fits all. The ever-increasing amount of platforms and screen sizes means that not all websites will render optimally on every device. Responsive web design is being touted as the great solve by allowing for one fluid, multi-device design. But is it right for everyone? HOW IT WORKS Responsive design enables a website to adapt its layout to device-specific requirements. With flexible images and fluid grids, content and layouts automatically resize to fit the screen. Images grow or shrink, copy reflows itself, and the end result is that the user will have the consistent experience intended-whether it's on a smartphone, tablet or desktop. NO PINCHING NO SCROLLING NO ZOOMING MOBILE'S RAPID RISE People are increasingly reaching for their smartphones and tablets to access the web. 21% 28% 67% 91% U.S. residents with a Website traffic to leading ecommerce websites noW Shoppers who are more likely to buy from a mobile- Americans who access the Internet more often on their smartphones than their desktop computers. mobile device within reach 24/7. coming from tablets and smartphones. friendly site. THE NUMBER OF SCREEN SIZES KEEPS GROWING The more screen resolutions, the bigger the challenge to create a one-size-fits-all design. 232 97 Average number of unique screen resolutions in 2010. Average number of unique screen resolutions in 2013. SHOPPERS ARE GOING MOBILE A better customer experience for mobile shoppers is going to be more crucial than ever in the years ahead. $108.6 77% 25% BILLION 51% 15% $38.8 BILLION 2013 2017 2013 2017 2013 2017 U.S. shoppers using a smartphone or tablet to Amount people will spend while shopping on their smartphone or tablet. Amount of online retail sales taking place on a smartphone or tablet. make at least one online purchase. BIG BENEFITS POTENTIAL PITFALLS Gives consistent and optimized customer experiences across all touchpoints. Slower downloads since one website has to load all image elements on every device. Reduces the need for internal Possibly lengthens development time and costs more upfront. development solos-a unified web team is all that's needed. Content has to be equally available on all platforms and operating systems. Creates a single code base and one website for all online customer Customers don't necessarily want the same basic experience everywhere, on experiences. Minimizes QA needs for each update and future website redesigns. every device. Inability to acknowledge mobile-specific keywords could impact the mobile user. Reduces maintenance risks and release cycle times. Doesn't replace the need to develop unique experiences for given touchpoints. Offers better marketing visibility thanks to a device-agnostic URL structure. A RESPONSIVE DESIGN EVALUATION CHECKLIST DOES YOUR WEBSITE ACTUALLY NEED IT? Figure out if you'd be better off optimizing other parts of your website (like reducing page weight and speeding up the load time for pages) rather than allocating resources to a total responsive makeover -especially if the majority of your sales and conversions are made from a desktop. DO YOU HAVE THE BUDGET? Responsive design doesn't come cheap. Migrating from various dedicated sites to one responsive website is going to come at a cost upfront. Make sure the cost of instituting responsive design will be worth it by a measurable uptick in sales. CAN YOUR TEAM HANDLE IT? Creating a responsive design can be complex, needing longer development and implementation periods. Plus, there'll be the necessity for tons of testing to make sure that your website renders properly across all potential screen sizes and platforms. Make sure you're prepared. ARE YOU OK WITH THE DESIGN LIMITATIONS? Without the ability to diverge the focus between dedicated mobile and desktop websites, some of the design's most likely going to be sacrificed in the name of functionality, resulting in more limited branding options. And be prepared to work in outlines and wireframes instead of more traditional mockups. WILL YOU MAXIMIZE THE OPPORTUNITY? Do you have a personalization strategy in place that targets the right content, to the right visitor? If you don't, putting money and time into responsive design may get you a cool website, but not any more conversions. For more on responsive web design, download "The Truth About Responsive Design" by visiting monetate.com/responsive-design monetate Follow @monetate on twittery SOURCES: Agent Evolution | Forrester Research | Mashable | Monetate EQ | Uniwebb | Google | eMarketer | Viget || Smart Insights

Responsive Web Design: The Next Great Hope or All Hype?

shared by Monetate on Jul 30
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Responsive web design is being touted as the great solve by allowing for one fluid, multi-device design. But is it right for everyone?

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