Increased mobile device use is changing the ecommerce game. Merchants must ensure their websites function well on smartphones and tablets or risk having potential customers look elsewhere when they shop. At the same time, the development and hosting burdens of building separate experiences for web and mobile users is severe. This is where responsive design comes into play.
Responsive web technologies are able to automatically identify the device a user leverages to access your site and adjust the interface accordingly. Implementing responsive design simplifies the technical side of establishing an ecommerce site that can work on a wide range of devices. With responsive capabilities in place, you need only establish a site interface that will look good regardless of screen size.
A few issues to keep in mind when considering responsive design include:
- Eliminating clutter: Take a somewhat minimalist approach to using images and copy throughout your site to avoid overcrowding screens when the site shrinks down for smartphone users.
- Ensuring clarity: Logos and text can easily become difficult to read or make sense of when compressed to fit on small screens. Make design decisions that will ensure content remains clear at any size. This includes using high-resolution images or vector drawings that will look equally crisp when enlarged as they do when small.
- Remembering content delivery strategies: Mobile and Wi-Fi networks are often able to handle less bandwidth than wired infrastructure, creating a situation in which users may experience slower load times and similar problems when accessing your site on a smartphone or tablet. As you go responsive, make sure your hosting strategies can keep up with mobile users’ demands.
Responsive design is becoming essential. Check out the infographic below for more details on why responsive is so important and tips on how to meet mobile users’ needs.
