Statistics show a gap between what .EDU site users want versus what .EDU sites provide. The web marketer is playing catch up to provide the right level of flexibility. Responsive design—a web design that adapts to a given browser size—is a non-negotiable in today’s higher education web experiences. Responsive design has the advantage of being able to provide (and to design for) specific user experiences without eliminating features or compromising content and overall online experience. The browsing experience literally “adapts” to the user’s screen size.
A responsive web environment allows the web to serve an optimized viewing experience for a number of devices. This is imperative as the number of internet connected devices and screen sizes continues to grow and change.
And responsive has advantages for web marketers, as well. Content is created once and used across multiple devices simultaneously. Web marketers need systems and tools that support the responsive web.
Student (and parent) demand is driving the trend. The responsive web serves the marketing need and starts digital matriculation as the student then transitions into using online campus directories, learning management systems (LMS), library services, and other core-to-campus tools.