What is Responsive Web Design?

So the term responsive web design is a term that is thrown a lot from time to time. So what exactly is responsive web design and how is it better than standard web design?

For starters it isn’t 1990 anymore, this is 2015. Back in 1990 most websites were created in basic HTML and websites were brochure type websites. In 2015, the purpose of a website can be very different to another website. From brochure sites to eCommerce websites to fully functional websites that act as online applications.

The popularity of responsive web design has minimised the need for a mobile website. Today, a responsive website can replace the need for a mobile website making the website fully functional on devices such as tablets and mobile devices or any form of device that is not a computer monitor.

Through this type of web design you can modify what a user sees on a specific device. For instance, on a mobile device you can hide a certain area that would normally be visible on a desktop computer. This is beneficial for websites that are very content heavy. So you can just show the important parts.

The importance of responsive websites is further highlighted by Googles latest algorithm which basically means that if your website is mobile friendly then Google will give your website more preference over a website that isn’t mobile friendly.