Responsive web design (RWD) adapts to the screen of the person accessing the site and creates interactions that work best for them. Someone using a mobile device will have a different experience than desktop computer users.
Most web designers have a basic understanding of RWD and must consider how people will interact with the site under various circumstances. However, more advanced techniques can take your designs to the next level and fully meet your target audience’s needs. Here are some things to consider implementing for your next project.
1. Install Breakpoints
Statista estimates there are 6.47 billion mobile internet users globally. Over half of internet traffic comes from these devices. With so many using their smartphones to get online, ensuring stellar responsive design is a requirement.
Installing a breakpoint where people see a different version of the website based on pixelation ensures everyone has an excellent user experience (UX) on your page.
The layout will change when the user’s window size hits the breakpoint you’ve set in code. You’ve likely noticed this with menus, with navigation reducing to a hamburger menu on mobile.
2. Add Conditional Loading
People have much faster internet connections than in the past. Web designers can share animated images and videos, making sites graphics-heavy. However, even the fastest 5G can’t compare to fiber optic internet. Heavy visuals can drag down load times and cause users to bounce away to a competitor’s site.
You can add JavaScript and limit the graphics that load whenever someone accesses your site via a smaller screen. Many website owners turn off videos for better mobile responsiveness. Compress images and use smaller sizes for the smartphone version of your site.
3. Embrace Dark Mode Options
Dark and light design may not be something you consider at first when creating a responsive website. However, screen time can impact UX. Most people spend around 3.6 hours a day on their mobile devices. All that blue light can make their eyes hurt and result in strain.
While dark mode isn’t for everyone, offering a dark mode option gives many users’ eyes a break from harsh, bright light. Dark mode also reduces glare when people are outdoors or under fluorescent lights. Shifting to light text on dark backgrounds rests your eyes.
4. Use Fluid Grid Layouts
Fluid width layouts translate better to smaller screens. Rather than using pixels when coding, go with percentages. Fluid layouts adapt to the user’s viewing area. You can even code for different types of devices for the best UX possible, such as one for desktop, one for mobile and one for tablets.
Start by setting up your main container frame. Move to columns and keep tweaking until you get the look you want on each device. Cross-check everything on different devices to ensure the finished product looks the way you desire.
5. Make Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons Larger
People accessing your site on smaller screens may have difficulty tapping on CTA buttons if they scale down to tiny versions of themselves. You should code them to be larger on mobile devices so users can easily tap them to take action.
Around 94% of CTAs use action verbs to draw users in, but the button’s color, size and place can greatly impact how well it performs. Tap the button with your thumb or forefinger to see if it works as intended.
6. Code for Adaptive Images
Some designers rely on traditional code to readjust images. Unfortunately, problems can occur and leave too big of an image to be seen on a small screen. The user must either scroll to see the entire thing or grow frustrated and leave your site.
Code so the image resizes for different screen sizes. In some cases, you’ll need to upload multiple copies of an image so it loads quickly and at the correct resolution. You can use attributes such as <img>, srcset or picture to provide various options to people accessing from different devices.
Meet All Your Users’ Needs
Coding your site to be more responsive enhances your users’ experiences. Adding a few lines of code and additional options for layout and images can mean the difference between someone staying on your site or leaving within milliseconds. The better your design looks on all devices, the more positively people will respond to your message.
