What is responsive web design, and why is it important?

Responsive web design is an approach to web design that ensures a website can be viewed on any device or screen size. It is a design technique that makes a website adjust itself to the screen size of the device it is being viewed on, whether it's a desktop computer, a tablet, or a mobile phone. Responsive design uses a combination of flexible grids and layouts, images, and CSS media queries to ensure that the website is optimized for each device.

Responsive design is important because of the increasing use of mobile devices to access the internet. In fact, over 50% of web traffic comes from mobile devices, so it is critical that websites are designed to be mobile-friendly. Responsive design ensures that a website is easy to read and navigate on a mobile device, without requiring the user to zoom in or out to view the content. A responsive website also provides a better user experience, which can lead to increased engagement and conversions.

Additionally, responsive web design is important for search engine optimization (SEO). Google has stated that mobile-friendliness is a ranking factor for search results, so having a responsive website can help improve a website's search engine rankings.