Whether it be reality or virtually, pros and cons has been present. With this in mind, part II of TNO’s blog series goes into the advantage and disadvantages of having a web responsive design. 2013 saw the rise of the tablet pc, android, and smartphone market. This resulted into an increase in demand for websites to have a responsive web design. Meaning a website should follow the idea of “one size fits all,” or in this case screen sizes. But what does it offer to site owners? Let’s take a look.
The Good Side RWD
1. Easy Tracking. RWD makes the task of tracing the site traffic easy; especially with the site connected to a Google Analytics account. Analytics is able to dissect the traffic information it received from different browsers and mobile devices.
2. Cost Effective & Low Maintenance. Using a flexible code, the need to have a different content is not needed with RWD. The Cascading Style Sheet (CCS) Code enables for the site content to adjust to the screen size accordingly. Effectively lowering the expenses since building a new site is unnecessary. It also doesn’t require checking two different websites.
3. Future Ready. There is no need to worry about new devices that are likely to be introduced in the market. The site can adapt to the device’s screen.
4. Better User Experience. Users are able to experience a consistent look and feel on the site whether they are browsing the site on a tablet, desktop, android, and smartphone.
5. Good SEO. Having a duplicate content is not a problem with a responsive design since your url is okay for all kind of gadgets. It prevents the site from receiving penalties from Google such as the ever lovable Panda. This web design has a great online marketing gift to companies, small businesses, and organizations that is brand reliability. It gives consumers the assurance that what they’ve visited is of high quality, dependable, and trustworthy. But just like any technological advancement, there is a downside to it.
The Bad Side of RW
1. Design. The graphic designer has to design several layouts through the use of wire frames.
2. Development. Converting an existing site into a responsive one is harder compared to creating one.
3. Implementation. The RWD practice is relatively new so there are problems that developers and designers are still unfamiliar with.
4. Resources. There are little available resources and support that can provide answers to problems that may arise with RWD since it’s still in the process of having a solid foundation of knowledge.
5. Loading Time. This is the downside of a mobile responsive site. The site takes a longer time to load due the html/ccs codes that needs to be downloaded. With all of these disadvantages in mind, one could simply say that making sure that a site is responsive is time consuming. A lot of working hours is needed in assuring that the site is working.
A lot of tests and monitoring on different platforms are done to see if the site looks exactly the way users should see. It may be time consuming but the benefits to both party, the consumers and the company or brand or organization is great. But what do you think about it? Are the advantages outweighs the disadvantages?
Web Responsiveness is time consuming but it has a lot to offer to site owners and its site visitors if done properly.
To interested parties, who want to know more about web responsive design, The Northern Office-Innovative Marketing can be contacted at +63 45 499 1082 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
2013 is dubbed by Mashable as the year of Responsive Web Design. And what better way to end the year by creating a series of blog articles, looking into this design practice. The part I of the series focuses on its growth through the years.
Today, consumers are technologically adept; jumping from one device to the other when doing everyday transactions. Trip planning, financial managing, Internet browsing, and online shopping are some of the most common activities done across multiple devices. Plus the fact that people are always on the go, wanting to do things as quick as possible and receive needed stuff and information with just one click. This fast phase of life has given birth to a screen revolution, we now experience.
The Birth of Responsive Web Design It all began with the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). But it received a lot of negative criticisms because of its poor performance. Mobile devices then started offering internet access, but have limited browser capabilities. But developers were able to come up with a simple solution through HTML. By the time iPhone was out, mobile sites tend to have a separate and different code from their desktop counterpart. Developers had to maintain two different sites.
But people expect to experience the same look and feel on a website even if they use a desktop, a laptop, or a smartphone. This situation resulted to the idea of having a responsive website. The term “responsive web design (RWD)” was coined by Ethan Macrotte in May 2010. He was inspired how architects are able to plan and create a technology that enables it to interact and influence the elements in the surrounding area such as humans and its environment
Defining Responsive Web Design
RWD refers to the ability of a website to bend and adapt to different screen sizes and mobile devices. According to Macrotte, responsive design has three distinct parts:
Without all the technical jargons, a responsive design is about not being boxed and restricted into one size. A web design should always wear the idea of one size fits all, or in this case one look fits all.
Why Care About Website Responsiveness?
It is important for brands and companies to adapt to the changing times. This is why from the traditional media; they are now using the new media or the Internet in reaching out to their audience, industry, and the rest of the world. Things have gone global. The same idea applies to a website’s success and survival today.
A website that is able to adapt into different screen sizes and types of devices is meeting the global demand. In doing so, companies are able to increase their credibility and provide people good user experience when scrolling the site. But remember that not all website needs to have a responsive site. Web responsiveness has put the playing field of web marketing into a new whole level. Consumers are likely to engage more on a versatile site than a one that isn’t.
To compete globally, The Northern Office-Innovative Marketing makes sure that their client’s website is responsive. If you need help contact us+63 45 499 1082 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The idea of being above the fold had crossover from newspaper to the Internet. Its goal is to catch the attention and interest of readers by placing the most important news on this part. The same goes for the Internet. This position is given to the most integral information about the company such as its name, feature, and social media like/share button. This is a part of a site users see first. It does not need to be scrolled down. Readers are said to stay more and read more when place on this part.
It’s Okay to Go Low
But that doesn’t mean that being below a page cannot work. Today, many brands have adapted the idea of scrolling down below the fold. With the creation of a mouse with a scroll ball, and smartphones, people have become accustomed to scrolling. Sites have become more flexible. They are able to change their resolution from a desktop or laptop monitor to a smartphone screen.Many studies have confirmed that more user engagement are generated below the fold. But with this scenario, the challenge of how to make sure the user continues on with reading the site until the end arises.
Keeping Up With the Engagement
There are two things that will make a person stay on the page longer. These are good content and beautiful design.
Yes, it may be tiring to hear the same thing over and over again. But having good content really works. Content really is the king. People are on the quick search for things. If the site is filled with nonsense drabbles then visitors are likely to go away at first glance. Avoid using the same old information. If it cannot be avoided, present it in a new way. By listening to what is being talked about in an industry and the latest trend in the world be it in the entertainment or fashion industry, content can be curated. Giving a new and refreshing take on a topic that has long been discussed using the same view.
Besides good information, having a good web design should be taken into account. Humans are visual beings. People are attracted to a great mixture of contrasting colors. With this in mind, many sites started using the Parallax scrolling which has been around since the 1940s. This is a computer graphic technique that creates an illusion of depth. The background moves slower than the foreground. Through this interactive fold design, companies are able to keep users engaged. Users are motivated to stay because something new happens with every scroll down. It gives a company the opportunity to share their story about their brand and product. Its design provides instant feedback from visitors.
So be sure to keep this in mind, by having the right blend of content and design, users are definitely going to stay longer on the site. This makes the engagement long lasting and memorable. But remember not all sites need to have an interactive design. Be sure to evaluate one’s site first before changing anything. Sometimes, good and reliable content along with a simple design is all it needs.
Don’t have any idea on what to do with your fold? Call us! The Northern Office-Innovative Marketing has the experience and knowledge when it comes to web design. We provide great insights on what clients can do for their site to look great from top to bottom. For more inquiries email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.m or give us a call at (045) 499-1082. Posted by John Joe Morgan
This New Year, have you ever thought of giving your website a new look or a makeover - a better online presence maybe. With a “new” you, prospects may find you interesting to read and look at, but the truth is they have been your regular visitors since your website was launched. You just gave them something exciting to look into. How do we do it? Again, you’ve got yourself a New Year treat from us. As online marketing specialists, we do everything and anything we can to help our clients and future clients achieve their goals.
Here are some tips we’d like to share with you:
1. Read your content carefully, all over again. Your website traffic depends on the viewers that go to your site. And why would they go to your website? Because you have the information they are looking for. If you are into analytics, you can check the bounce rate of your site’s traffic. The lower it is it just means your content is A-Okay! But if it is more than 60%, better read through your content, it might not just be working.
2. Visualize your business’ future, do some visuals. Most website earns higher ranks in search engine ranking pages because of interactive images found in each of their web pages. Yes, websites depend mostly on content, but images and visuals do help a lot in making your website “popular.”
3. Be mobile-friendly. Remember the Online Marketing trends of 2012 that we’ve shared from our previous blog? Most websites continue to innovate, and make sure that your website is already designed to be mobile friendly.
We at The Northern Office – Innovative Marketing do redesign websites from scratch. We do not only focus on internet marketing alone, we also strategize for your business. We make sure that your website will help you generate profit, not in an instant – but in a dramatic way. To know more of our services, call (045) 499-1082 and email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to avail our free consultation.