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A responsive web design is an approach that suggests that website elements should adapt to the screen size and orientation of the users’ devices.
This is crucial, given that 75% of customers form their opinion of an eCommerce website based on its design alone. A further 48% of them believe website design to be the number one factor to judge a business’s credibility on.
Most importantly, 73.1% of customers may leave a website if it has a non-responsive design.
This article will explain the benefits of implementing a responsive web design in eCommerce websites and cover the steps of how to craft it.
Let’s get started.
Benefits of responsive web design for ecommerce
Of course, building a website from scratch and using responsive web design right from the get-go introduces a number of benefits. Here are some of them to expect:
Optimal User Experience
Research shows that 90% of smartphone users have their phones within reach at all times. This makes it vital for websites to be accessible on mobile devices.
By utilizing a responsive design, the website will automatically adjust to any device’s screen size and resolution.
Improved Brand Reputation
Customers’ expectations have changed – now, a business’s website should look great on any device. If that’s not the case, it might negatively impact a brand’s reputation.
A responsive website design contributes to a pleasant user experience, meeting or exceeding customers’ expectations.
Flexible Site Management
Maintaining two versions of your website – desktop and mobile – means extra effort to manage two different sites, running the risk of creating duplicate content.
Opting for a responsive web design instead will take up less time and resources, as you’ll only have to manage a single website.
Higher Conversion Rates
According to a study, 61% of customers are more likely to make purchases on mobile-friendly websites. Thus, fostering a robust mobile experience by implementing responsive web design can increase conversion rates substantially.
In addition, due to a seamless shopping experience, your eCommerce store will experience reduced abandoned cart and bounce rates.
How to create a responsive web design for ecommerce
I’ve identified seven steps to create a responsive design for your eCommerce website. Let’s take a look at them:
1. Set appropriate breakpoints
When it comes to creating a responsive design, it’s essential to set appropriate breakpoints. They are the points where the website’s content and design adapt in a specific way for the best possible user experience.
People browse the internet on devices with various screen sizes and resolutions. The software powering the site needs to render it perfectly every time. The page content and images can’t be cut off, obscured, or distorted.
To make this possible, programmers use responsive breakpoints, also called CSS breakpoints. The points are defined in the code, so the website’s content and design respond to them and automatically adjust the layout to the screen size and resolution.
This results in an aesthetically pleasing viewing experience.
Here are some of the most common device resolutions which you can use for breakpoints:
- 1920 x 1080
- 1536 x 864
- 1366 x 768
- 414 x 896
- 375 x 667
- 360 x 640
2. Begin with a fluid grid
Websites used to be based on pixel measurements. Nowadays, with devices of various screen sizes, sites are built using a fluid grid. It positions web elements on a website in proportion to the actual screen size.
This means that elements on a fluid grid can adjust and resize themselves to fit any device instead.
Fluid grids are composed of columns. Their width and height dimensions are not fixed but rather scaled. Naturally, a fluid grid layout functions after being embedded in the website’s source code.
For example, Dribble and GitHub employ fluid grids in their websites. This prevents them from feeling cluttered on smaller screen sizes.
With the implementation of fluid grids, some elements are automatically minimized or even hidden when users access the site on a smaller screen. This includes changing the layout from two columns to one and hiding the search and menu bar behind a hamburger icon.
3. Consider using touchscreens
One of the factors to consider when making a website responsive is touchscreens. Most mobile devices and even some laptops are now equipped with them.
Therefore, to create a responsive website design, developers need to calibrate the website for touchscreens.
For example, let’s take a look at a drop-down menu you might find on a homepage. Menu items and small elements like buttons need to be easier to find and select. Consider making them larger so they can be tapped on a touchscreen comfortably.
4. Use responsive images
When writing code, use modern tag attributes so the images are responsive to different screen sizes and resolutions. Here’s an example:
<style>
img {
max-width: 100%;
}
</style>
<picture>
<source type="image/webp" srcset="https://my-image.com/my-image-100.webp 1x, https://my-image.com/my-image-200.webp 2x">
<source type="image/png" srcset="https://my-image.com/my-image-100.png 1x, https://my-image.com/my-image-200.png 2x">
<img alt="my image" src="https://my-image.com/my-image-200.png" loading="lazy" width="100" height="100">
</picture>
Here’s a few notable elements of the code:
- max-width – this allows the image size to be automatically adjusted based on the width of the display.
- The picture, source, and img tags – combine them to render images following the specifications of a user’s device.
- srcset – this shows web browsers which images should be displayed depending on the screen resolution.
- loading=”lazy” – lazy loading implies fetching the element only when it needs to be rendered.
5. Implement responsive typography
As mentioned in the second step, website elements – including font sizes – used to be defined in pixels. While such practices are okay for static websites, a responsive website requires responsive typography.
The text on your site has to adjust to its breakpoints and follow the fluid grid. This way, your content will be readable on any device.
You can do this by modifying the CSS3 specification and employing rem units.
The HTML font size must be reset first, so write the following line:
html { font-size:100%; }
Then define the responsive font sizes according to the breakpoints discussed in the first step:
@media (min-width: 640px) { body {font-size:1rem;} }
@media (min-width:1100px) { body {font-size:1.5rem;} }
6. Use a preset responsive theme
If you are approaching a deadline and the developers and designers can’t come up with a solution in time, you can always opt for a premade theme with built-in responsiveness.
Website builders and CMSs feature both paid and free responsive themes and templates. After choosing one, let the designers adjust its elements to be in tune with your brand and include content.
7. Test web responsiveness
One of the most overlooked aspects of creating a responsive website is testing it on real devices before making it public. While developers can tweak the code, it’s the actual functionality of the site that has to be verified.
Once your website is built, test it on a responsive design checker like BrowserStack. This tool emulates a number of real devices so you can check how your site looks and whether it's responsive enough.
Conclusion
A responsive web design is crucial for eCommerce websites. It helps users form an opinion and validates a business. 62% of companies have shown that a responsive website has positively affected their sales.
To ensure that your website is up to spec, I’ve laid out seven steps to take to create a responsive site. Let’s recap them:
- Set appropriate breakpoints
- Begin with a fluid grid
- Consider using touchscreens
- Use responsive images
- Implement responsive typography
- Use a preset responsive theme
- Test web responsiveness
Now that you know the benefits of responsive web design and how to create it, implement these steps to create an appealing experience for the visitors of your website.
Good luck!
