What is responsive website design and why an online store doesn't sell without it: 5 common mistakes

Responsive design is not just about convenience. Today, this type of design is considered a basic requirement for different online stores. Moreover, responsiveness is planned at the design stage, when the logic of the interface is being formed. Therefore, it directly affects user experience (UX) and the conversion rate of mobile users. To explore all the details in more depth, it is enough to read the current article “UX of a cosmetics online store: what affects sales”.

By ignoring the need for responsive design, a store risks losing a large number of sales, especially from mobile traffic.

What is responsive design

First of all, it is important to understand what responsive design is. It is a special approach to website development, where the entire interface automatically adapts to the size of the user’s screen. For example, mobile versions for smartphones and tablets or desktop versions for computers and laptops.

The main goal of this adaptation is to make the process of choosing and purchasing a product as convenient as possible for customers. At the same time, convenience does not depend on the device from which the user opens the store.

How responsive design is considered during online store development

Planned online store development should be carried out with all the specifics of responsiveness in mind.

To create responsive web design, the following approaches are used:

A mobile-first approach, where the mobile version is created first and then scaled for larger screens.
Prototyping key scenarios based on the following chain: catalog → product page → cart → checkout.
Maximum interface simplification, where unnecessary elements are removed to make websites easier to use on a small screen.
Optimization of page loading speed, which is especially important for mobile networks.

In addition, the website is tested on real devices — both mobile and desktop versions are checked not only in the browser. As a result, website responsiveness means adapting the user journey to “mobile behavior”.

5 common responsive design mistakes in an online store

When using responsive website design, many online store owners make serious mistakes, as a result of which the website does not work properly, does not perform its main functions, and therefore does not sell products.

Among the most common mistakes are the following:

An inconvenient product catalog for mobile devices. The catalog often looks like a reduced desktop version, so product cards are too small, 3-4 products are shown in one row, and text is difficult to read because of the small font size.
Broken or inconvenient filters. When any catalog page loads, filters remain on the side or open as an overloaded window with tiny checkboxes.
An overloaded product page. The product page contains fully copied text from the desktop version, resulting in overly long text, stretched tables, small buttons, and chaotic placement of all elements due to a poorly thought-out structure.
An inconvenient cart. When the cart opens, the screen shows a complicated page with many fields, miniature buttons, and inconvenient editing.
A complicated and long checkout. To place an online order, the customer has to complete many steps. Small fields and tiny fonts are used for entering data, and there is no autofill option.

All this leads to the user becoming tired and no longer wanting to spend time figuring out the website’s functionality. As a result, the customer leaves the website and goes to competitors.

How it should work in practice

When creating a responsive website, it is necessary to consider several important points regarding how the catalog with products/services and other pages should look.

Useful recommendations based on the 5 common mistakes:

When launching the mobile version of the catalog, there should be no more than 1-2 products in one row, all images should be large, and the “Buy” button and product price should stand out from the main text content.
Filters should open as a separate screen or as a menu. All control elements should be large and noticeable.
When designing product pages, a clear hierarchy should be followed: photo – price – CTA – specifications. Instead of long blocks of text, preference should be given to expandable sections.
In the cart, the buyer should be able to easily manage products by removing them or changing the required quantity. The button for proceeding to checkout should be clearly visible.
For the final purchase stage, autofill and large fields for convenient data entry are important.

As an example, you can consider a real case of website design and development for a premium clothing brand, where all the recommendations listed above were taken into account.

Features of responsive design

Many people confuse this type of design with visual adaptation of a website. But in reality, it is a full-fledged foundation for sales in any online store. After all, if a user cannot find the product they need, use filters, and place an online order, the purchase will not happen.

It is important to remember the main features of responsive design:

flexible grid;
media queries;
responsive images and videos;
restructuring of the entire interface;
touch optimization;
content priority;
cross-device compatibility.

Most problems that are directly related to conversion today are not about marketing. Most often, they are caused specifically by mistakes in responsive UX. Moreover, these mistakes were made at the initial stages — during website design.

If all the specifics of responsive setup are taken into account, mobile traffic automatically turns from a “problem” into one of the main sources of product sales. After all, today more and more users make online purchases using mobile devices.