In one sentence
A responsive website is one website that rearranges its layout so it is comfortable to read and use on any screen: a phone, a tablet or a computer. Mobile friendly website design is the everyday name for the same goal: a site that works well on a small screen.
How it works, in plain English
A responsive site does not have separate versions for each device. It is built from flexible pieces that stretch, shrink and stack depending on the width of the screen.
- On a computer, content can sit side by side in columns.
- On a phone, those columns stack into a single column you scroll through.
- Photos scale down to fit the screen instead of running off the edge.
- Text stays a comfortable size, and buttons and links are large enough to tap with a finger.
- The menu turns into a compact button on a small screen.
Why it matters to your customers
Many people look up a local business on their phone: to check your hours, find your address, see your prices or call you. If your website is hard to use on a phone, a visitor has to pinch, zoom and scroll sideways, and may simply move on to the next business. A page that is easy to read on a phone makes the next step, calling or sending a message, easy too.
For you, responsive design also means less work. You keep one website and one set of content. When you change a price or a photo, it changes everywhere.
What a mobile-friendly website looks like
- The text is readable without zooming in.
- Nothing makes the page scroll sideways.
- Buttons and links are easy to tap, and not packed too close together.
- Your phone number can be tapped to call.
- Your hours, address and prices are easy to find, not hidden in an image.
- Photos load quickly and are not stretched or cut off.
- The menu is easy to open and close.
Check your own website in two minutes
- Open your website on your own phone, not just on a computer.
- Read the first screen. Can you tell what you do and how to reach you?
- Tap the menu, a button and your phone number. Does each one work easily?
- Turn the phone sideways. Does the page still look right?
- Ask a friend to find your opening hours and note how long it takes.
If several of these fail, it may be time for a redesign. See website redesign for how that works.
What to look for when you hire a web designer
Ask to see samples opened on a phone, not only on a computer screen. Ask whether the site is one responsive website or a separate mobile version, and who keeps both up to date. And ask what happens to photos and the phone number on a small screen. Good answers are short and specific.
See it on your own phone
Every design we build is responsive. The best way to see what that means is to open a few of our website examples on your phone and compare them with your current website. When you are ready, the pricing page shows what a website costs and what is included.