Responsive Web Design

Web design is continually evolving as the base technologies that make the web possible advance.  One of the most exciting developments in web design right now is the adoption of responsive web design. Sherpa Sites are built to be responsive on any device including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktops.

What is Responsive Web Design?

Responsive web design is an approach to styling a website’s design using CSS and some tricky math to render the content in a very clean and readable manner regardless of the device being used or the size of the device’s viewing area.  You can read more about the details of responsive web design on Trail Sherpa Design.

An example of Responsive Web Design.  This could really happen.

Imagine browsing the web on a Wednesday to find inspiration for your next hike.  From your laptop, you comb through the Google Search results and click on a link to a WordPress blog about hikes in your area.   You land on this home page for the first time to discover this great website.  The author is witty, takes great photos on the trail, uses his tale of adventure to capture your interest in a way that no other trail report has before.

Fast forward two days, to Friday, when your boss tells you to take off early.  I know, highly unlikely, but suspend your disbelief for the purposes of this example.  You grab your stuff, sprint to the parking lot, toss your crap into the back of your truck as you struggle with the choice before you: call your spouse to ask for clearance to head straight to the trail or just beeline to the trailhead.  How would they know?  You call, because sleeping on your couch is uncomfortable.

Your spouse greenlights your Friday afternoon adventure and you immediately begin to consider your options.  It’s at that moment that you remember that hiking blog that you discovered a few days earlier.  Crap, your laptop is in the back and your iPad is at home.  You bust out your company issued Blackberry (or personal iPhone – doesn’t matter what type of smartphone it is) and head straight to that WordPress blog to get the directions to the trailhead.

What do you see?

You see a poorly designed mobile browsing experience.  You need to scroll in all four directions or the blog in its entirety has been reduced to fit the screen and you are forced to zoom. Getting frustrated with your search is no way to start off your hike.

You are greeted to a home page that is dynamically presented with content that you can read without scrolling from side to side or zooming.  Images on the page and the embedded video from the hike have been resized thanks to media queries making your experience not only pleasing but very efficient.  You quickly click through to the directions to the trailhead and throw your truck into drive.  Be sure to take lots of photos!

How does Sherpa Sites use Responsive Web Design?

Sherpa Sites was conceived to provide outdoor bloggers with cutting edge technology to power the very best blogging experience for both authors and readers.  This includes a host of features and customizations, and of course, custom WordPress themes that are responsive.  Regardless of which level you choose for your Sherpa Site, you can be certain that the theme was built to be responsive in a mobile, tablet, laptop, or desktop browser.  The best part is that all of the responsive elements happen automatically.  The page is loaded into the viewing area for each visitor in a format consistent with the resolution of their device. Providing a positive user experience fosters engagement and will allow you to build a community around your Sherpa Site.  That’s the goal, isn’t it?

Our commitment to responsive web design is really rooted in our desire to provide outdoor bloggers with the best tools to tell their stories.  Sherpa Sites does that better than other platforms and we will continue to innovate so you can share your stories of adventure.