Guide to Responsive Design

Written by Matt Berringer

August 14, 2020

Responsive web design is the development and design of digital content that respond to the needs of consumers and the devices they’re using. Factors like platform, orientation and screen size should be a priority when a publisher wants to display any premium digital content, whether it be a magazine or guide online.

Because the layout of online guides, brochures, product catalogs, etc is susceptible to changes based on mobile devices’ capabilities and sizes, they must be optimized when published.

Where digital publishers once looked at PDFs as the answer, these static, non-responsive tools are now out of date.

The practice of creating mobile responsive content consists of a combination of images, grids and layouts and sophisticated use of CSS media queries. Responsive digital content makers and design teams create a single experience to support many mobile devices, remaining vigilant of design, content and performance across devices to ensure usability.

A mobile responsive online platform includes design elements such as:

• Adequate space for tap targets
• Flexible layouts that will resize based on screen dimensions
• Readable text without requiring zoom

Why Responsive Design Is Important

Responsive design is imperative for published materials on the web because it offers an optimized browsing experience. The use of mobile devices to surf the internet continues to grow at an astronomical pace. According to Gomez, the Web performance division of Compuware, 40% of web users report switching over to a competitor’s website after experiencing a three-second load time — a less-than-ideal mobile experience.

Mobile devices often require an innovative approach to how content is displayed on the screen and can be constrained by display size. Today, creating static, non-responsive PDFs is not a design option — a responsive digital platform is a requirement for engaging readers

Responsive Content Improves Performance 

The number one benefit of creating a mobile responsive content is the guarantee that any user on any device will have a high-quality, consistent experience. Responsiveness improves performance and is an excellent way to adjust and elevate your content, ensuring that mobile device users see essential information.

Whether a user is viewing your brochure, magazine, guide, etc.,  on a laptop or mobile phone, their user experience is crucial to your success. While effective search engine optimization strategies draw traffic to your site, mobile responsive content, such as magazines and online guides, enhance customer engagement and augment user experience. When it comes to website visits, there are various types of engagement, including visitor discussions and comments, reading and absorbing content, watching videos and viewing images and social shares.

The benefits of mobile responsive magazine, white paper or digital guides include:

• Ensuring a consistent experience that can boost sales, conversions, and lead generations.
• Increasing reach to clients and customers on smaller devices, including mobile devices and tablets.
• Decreasing the time spent with on-site content management.
• Ensuring reporting, tracking, and analytics are all in one place.
• Helping you stay with or ahead of the competition.

Looks Great on Mobile, Desktop or Tablet 

Are you looking for ways to create mobile responsive and interactive content that looks great on mobile, desktop or tablet? Visual appeal — and having it on various devices — is crucial to your brand. Visual appeal plays many essential roles in web design in conjunction with responsiveness, including:

• Creating a great first impression: Visual appeal plays a significant part in establishing brand affinity with your website visitors. First impressions can affect customer relationships in the long term.
• Attracting attention: Attracting the attention of visitors is crucial in order for them to engage with your website or mobile responsive magazine.
• Evoking emotion: Visual appeal can create emotions like hope, trust, comfort and confidence. By creating mobile responsive online content with images and other visual elements, you can convey feelings such as sadness, joy or even pity.
• Building relationships: Building relationships with your customers and potential clients is your end goal. If visitors resonate with your online guides and other web material, you are one step closer to building a long-term relationship.

How to Make Digital Content Responsive 

Nxtbook Media provides a responsive digital publishing platform that specializes in creating mobile-friendly digital assets. For more than 17 years, we’ve been dedicated to designing responsive, accessible, aesthetically appealing digital content that transforms your PDFs, magazines, reports, catalogs and other digital guides into interactive content assets.

In addition to providing production services for our clients, we offer trusted digital publishing platforms, including nxtbook4 and PageRaft. At Nxtbook Media, we:

• Provide support geared toward helping you become a leader in your industry.
• Go above and beyond basic page-flipping technology.
• Offer a variety of programs to meet your needs and budget specifications.
• Have been working with companies since 2003, giving us years of know-how when it comes to designing mobile responsive magazines and online guides.
• Are a privately owned company named an Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Company, an Ethics in Business award-winner, a Best Place to Work in Pennsylvania award-winner, and a Small Business of the Year award-winner.

Make Your PDFs, Magazines, and Brochures More Responsive 

When it comes to curating responsive content assets for mobile devices, web content can and should be held to a certain level of responsiveness. Nxtbook Media provides a responsive digital publishing platform that optimizes various mediums for the web, including:

• PDFs
• Magazines and journals
• Travel guides
• Brochures
• Booklets
• Reports
• Newsletters
• Catalogs
• Textbooks and manuals
• Digital archives

You bring the content and we make it into an experience.

See Our Responsive Digital Publishing Platform 

When visitors land on your website from their mobile device, desktop or tablet, you want them to interact with your forms, read the content of your magazine or digital guide and successfully click-through on your calls to action.

If you’d like to learn more about creating a mobile responsive experience from your static content or creating new content experiences, get in touch with us today. You can schedule a personalized, no strings attached demo.