E-commerce has already made a significant impact among consumers worldwide. With the increasing number of smartphone users, the need for diverse platforms and the development of a strong m-commerce or mobile-commerce channel has become essential. While websites and mobile applications have been effective ways to reach consumers online, the desktop layout often doesn't work well on tablets or smartphones.

Zooming in on products and filling out details can be inconvenient for consumers accessing a website or purchasing items on their smartphones. This is where a layout that remains consistent across all devices, including personal computers, tablets, smartphones, and smartwatches, while adapting to the screen size, becomes crucial. This is what responsive design can achieve in online commerce. In 2013, Mashable.com dubbed it the "year of responsive design," and it has since become a must-have concept for retailers worldwide to attract more traffic and clicks.

The idea behind responsive design goes beyond merely offering the same deals, offers, discounts, and collections for apparel brands and retailers. Most consumers use their smartphones for pre-purchase and post-purchase research on products and to track their orders. However, the actual purchasing process often occurs on desktops or laptops. Responsive design aims to break this trend and create a seamless shopping experience for users on both small and large screens.

Responsive web design provides a flexible layout that adapts well to different screen sizes, resolutions, and devices. Websites can automatically adjust their layout based on the user's device to provide an optimal web experience while shopping. This means that a single piece of web content and format can be applied to suit various devices, simplifying the process of repurposing content for different platforms.

This technology offers a better interface for consumers, especially on smaller screens. Many mobile and tablet layouts force consumers to either download an application or use a web interface that is far from user-friendly. Responsive web design can reduce bounce rates on an e-commerce site by providing a convenient shopping experience that increases page views through a user-centric design. Increased loyalty and satisfaction are additional benefits of using responsive web design in apparel retail. Moreover, responsive design ensures uniformity across all online channels, giving consumers access to the same information, products, and shopping carts.

Another major challenge for online apparel retailers is integrating online content for desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Having an online presence is one thing, but keeping content synchronized and updated across all platforms is another. By implementing responsive web design, retailers can ensure that the same content is consistently available to consumers, regardless of the device they are using.

A stand alone mobile application or online site cannot invite more traffic than a responsive web design. Since all the devices that consumers have, use the same URL (Uniform Resource Locator), the traffic of a responsive web design is bound to increase and thereby improving the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) rankings.

But most importantly a responsive web design is said to boost sales and revenue through improved online shopping experience regardless of the device or gadget it is being used on. Big brands have witnessed mobile and tablet conversion rate of twenty percent after moving to a responsive web design from the conventional set up. Placing an order, buying, and tracking the shipment becomes easier with responsive designs.

This unique web designing concept helps optimize m-commerce and capture attention from users. To develop a layout, where the consumer finds everything that they are looking for in a single page, with a simple layout, instead of having long text-filled pages with multiple tabs, is what responsive design helps in achieving. Value proposition lists what the brand is and what it sells and is the first things that consumers see on mobile sites.

Call to action buttons are bigger to avoid zooming for quick responses by users in a responsive design site. Moreover, responsive designs assure less text and more visuals to make a point and keep users interested. Lengthy forms and detail filling processes need to be eliminated since this causes consumers to switch and reduces conversion rates especially on small screen devices. Using expandable tabs for product pages prevents unnecessary clamoring of content on mobile sites and tabs that are more important like sale, offers, and free shipping must be highlighted or must be bigger for better call to actions.

With digitization enabled in every aspect of e-commerce and m-commerce apparel retailers need to update themselves with the latest retail concepts like responsive web design to be steady market players and retain and increase their customer base. With gadgets like Google glass and smart watches, which will soon be available in markets, responsive web designs can help sustain and build online sales irrespective of the size and screen of the devices.

References:

 

1. Apparel.edgl.com

2. Pfsweb.com

3. Retailpro.com

4. Conversionxl.com