How to Convert an Existing Website to a Responsive Website

With users growing more demanding, there is an increasing need for a more functional and effective website to replace the conventional one. The use of mobile devices has increased.

Therefore, businesses need to think about a responsive web design setup that will work on all screen sizes. In this blog post, we will explore how to convert an existing website into a responsive one, which enables it to remain flexible on any device, no matter what screen resolution it is.

Infintech Designs is here to help you with this transition. Our team of experts specializes in creating responsive web designs that ensure your website is accessible and user-friendly on any device.

Don’t let your business fall behind. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you create a website that meets the demands of today’s users

Why Do You Need a Responsive Website?

Before we get into the details of how to convert your website to a responsive one, it is important to know why this process is significant.

• Mobile Usage is on the Rise: The figures of people reaching to the internet from mobile devices are soaring. As mobile traffic is overtaking desktop traffic (as cited in the latest statistics), 96% of all web traffic globally comes from mobile devices. One way you can reach your audience when making your website mobile-friendly is to have a wider audience and provide your users with a better experience.
• Improved User Experience: A website, which is responsive, adapts its layout and content to fit different devices; thus, the user’s interaction is more comfortable and the experience is of higher quality. Visitors are more apt to remain engaged, sincerely explore your content, and in time become your clients.
• SEO Benefits: A quick glance would tell you that Google would give preference to responsive websites in its search results. One of the advantages of using a responsive design for your website is that it makes it more probable for your site to rank well and drive more traffic from organic search results.

Now that we understand the importance of a responsive website, let’s dive into the steps involved in converting your existing website.

Step 1: Evaluate Your Current Website

Before you start making any changes, the first step consists of the evaluation of the actual website to find the weak points. Here are some key factors to consider:

• Site Structure: Analyze your website’s structure and the page’s layout. Does it have friendly navigation for different devices? Do the complex design features cause any problems when the content changes from bigger screens to smaller screens?
• Compatibility: Test your site using different mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets and different screen sizes. Bet on the issues that are either not displaying as expected or are causing usability problems.
• Loading Speed: For users, slow loading times may turn into a bother, like on mobile phones. Use PageSpeed Insights from Google to analyze your website’s loading speed and tweak that accordingly.

Step 2: Plan Your Responsive Design Strategy

That’s it; you are done assessing the pros and cons of your current website. Now it’s time to design your responsive website. Consider the following aspects:

• Design Elements: Spot unsafe design features that will need to be adjusted or redesigned to fit smaller screens. For instance, this could be cropping or moving the menu bar and adjusting the type size.
• Media Queries: The media queries make use of CSS techniques to apply different styles contingent to the device’s screen size. Make up your mind on breakpoints that will allow your website to change its layout and content as the screen gets smaller.
• Content Prioritization: On small screens, in this case, content should be given a priority to guarantee the seamless functionality of your website. Determine what items need to stand out and rank high on mobile devices.
• Responsive Frameworks: Incorporate frameworks like Bootstrap or Foundation, which are known for their responsiveness, to make the process simpler. These frameworks offer you the opportunity to have pre-built components that are only responsive, yet you can customize them to fit your website.

Step 3: Make Changes to Your Website

Now that a clear plan has been established, it is time to put the adjustments into practice and update the website to a responsive design. Here’s how you can go about it:

• Update your CSS: The appearance of your website is largely determined by CSS. You will need to adjust the CSS for a responsive design so that the elements adjust to various screen sizes. Set breakpoints where the layout will alter using media queries, then modify styles in accordance. Pay attention to principles of responsive design such as scalable typography and flexible images.
• Optimized images: To achieve the best loading times on mobile devices, optimize your images by resizing them and using CSS techniques like responsive images and CSS sprites.
• Accept Fluid Grids: The foundation of responsive design is the use of a flexible grid system. Screen width-adjustable 12-column grids are provided by frameworks such as Bootstrap. To keep a balanced layout, make sure your content is organized within this grid.
• Test Across Devices: Make sure everything is displaying and working as intended by carefully testing your website on a variety of screens and devices. Adjust as needed to get the responsiveness just right.

Step 4: Optimize for Mobile

Apart from ensuring that your website is responsive, there are a few other things you can do to make an already-existing website mobile-friendly:

• Mobile-Friendly Navigation: Make your menu more manageable on smaller screens. Collapsible or off-canvas menus are viable options to enhance usability and conserve space.
• Touch-Friendly Elements: Make sure that interactive elements, buttons, and links are large enough and positioned appropriately to make them easy to tap on touchscreens.
• Forms and Input Fields: Reduce the number of necessary fields and use touchscreen-friendly input types (such as date pickers and numeric keyboards) to optimize forms and input fields for mobile users.

Step 5: Monitor and Test

Your work doesn’t end once you’ve made your website responsive. Continuous testing and monitoring are necessary to make sure your website works properly on a variety of devices. Here’s how you can do it:

• Browser Compatibility: To make sure your website is responsive and compatible, test it frequently across a range of browsers and versions.
• User Feedback: Encourage users to provide feedback on their experience with your responsive website. Use feedback to improve any areas that may still need fine-tuning.
• Data Analysis: To collect information on user behavior, conversions, and bounce rates across various devices, use analytics tools. You can use this data to pinpoint areas that need more optimization.

By following these simple steps, you can easily transform an outdated website into a responsive layout that is accessible and easy to use on any device.

To stay up with changing user expectations and technological advancements, do not forget to periodically assess how responsive your website is.

Now that you have a guide on how to make your current website responsive, it is time to get started. In the rapidly changing world of online business, adopting mobile responsiveness will help you stay ahead of the competition while also enhancing user experience.

So go ahead and implement a responsive design on your website to enjoy the advantages of a mobile-friendly website! And if you need professional help, don’t hesitate to reach out to Infintech Designs.

Our team of experts is ready to assist you in creating a website that not only looks great but also performs excellently on all devices. Call Infintech Designs today and take the first step towards a more successful online presence!

FAQs

• Why do i need a responsive website?

The use of mobile devices is growing. For your website to reach more people and enhance user experience, it must be mobile-friendly. On all devices, responsive design maintains user engagement. Search engines like Google prioritize responsive websites in search results, boosting your SEO.

• What are the steps to convert my website?

  • Evaluate your current website: Analyze its structure, compatibility across devices, and loading speed.
  • Plan your responsive design strategy: Consider design elements, media queries, content prioritization, and responsive frameworks.
  • Make changes to your website: Update CSS, optimize images, utilize fluid grids, and test across devices.
  • Optimize for mobile: Ensure mobile-friendly navigation, touch-friendly elements, and optimized forms.
  • Monitor and test: Regularly test your website across devices, gather user feedback, and analyze data for further optimization.

• What are the benefits of mobile-friendly navigation?

Improved mobile usability and user experience. Avoids clutter, aiding users in finding what they need.

• Why are touch-friendly elements important?

Buttons and links must be large and easy to tap on touchscreens to prevent frustration and improve mobile user interaction, contributing to a smoother overall experience.

• How can i monitor and test my responsive website?

Ensure cross-browser compatibility by testing on various versions. Gather feedback and use analytics to track user behavior, conversions, and bounce rates across devices.