Five Layer: A Responsive WordPress Theme for Webmasters
Folks, it’s 2015, which means web and mobile templates are evolving at an astonishing pace. It’s time for you to make the switch to a responsive WordPress theme. There are numerous awesome reasons why you should make the switch (more on this later), but today, we’ll focus on the fact that it’s become so much easier to create multi-device compatible websites nowadays.
Let’s take a step back. What is responsive web design (RWD) and why should you care?
To put it simply, responsive websites adjust their look and functionality according to the device viewing them. For example, a tablet sees a different set of content than a laptop or desktop computer. Another example would be changing the font size based on the device resolution.
The idea behind responsive web design is to create one website that automatically adjusts to suit any device. Therefore, creating a mobile-friendly or tablet-friendly version of your site is as simple as changing a few CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) classes.
Another important aspect to keep in mind when developing a website is to make sure that the content in your pages easily scales to fit different screen sizes. When someone accesses your website on a large screen (such as a tablet or laptop computer), the content should scale accordingly and seamlessly fit the screen. However, when someone accesses your site on a smaller screen (such as a mobile phone or a notebook computer), the content should be displayed in a more compact format to ensure that all the usable content is fit on the screen.
Creating a mobile-friendly or tablet-friendly version of your site is as simple as changing a few CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) classes.
There are several tools that can help you test your site on different devices and see how the content scales. One of the most popular tools is Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test Tool, which can be found at https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly-test. With this handy tool, you can easily determine how easy or hard it will be to access your site across various devices. To quickly see how your site looks on various devices, simply enter your website’s URL (Uniform Resource Locator) in the address bar of the tool and press the Go button.
As you can see in the image below, the tool will show you the screen size that each item on your site is currently being viewed on. For example, the text in the heading “Blog” is sized differently than the rest of the texts on the page because it needs to fit the screen width.
In addition to the text in the headings, you will also notice that the images resize as well. This is due to the fact that the tool reads the image dimensions from the HTML code rather than the source file. Therefore, if you change the size of the image in the HTML code, the tool will read it and display it at the newly designated size.
Why Should You Care About Mobile-Friendliness?
The amount of mobile traffic (and thus, business) that you will accrue by making your site mobile-friendly is enormous. Let’s take a look at the stats.
In 2014, mobile traffic made up 48.7% of all online traffic, according to Hitwise. Moreover, in the same year, mobile searches increased by 18% and 13% in the US and UK, respectively. If your site is not mobile-friendly, then it is probably difficult to discover on a mobile device. People are increasingly relying on mobile phones for online shopping – in fact, mobile searches now account for 28% of all searches compared to 24% in 2013. In light of this, it is essential that you make your site mobile-friendly.
To put it bluntly, having a mobile-friendly site will give you a significant advantage in today’s ever-evolving market.
How to Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly
So you have decided that it is time to make your site mobile-friendly. Awesome! We’re glad that you decided to invest in your business’ online presence and made the right move. However, now that you have a mobile-friendly site, you must continue to maintain it.
To make sure that your site stays updated and relevant, regularly check for any broken links and outdated content. Moreover, ensure that the content is easy to consume on smaller screens (such as mobile phones). To test out how your site looks on a mobile device, simply load it up on your phone and see how the content scales. If you notice that some content is too large or takes too long to load, then it might be time to consider scaling back.
Five Layer: A Responsive WordPress Theme for Webmasters
Now that you have a basic understanding of what is a mobile-friendly site and why you should make the switch, it’s time to dive into the exciting world of responsive WordPress themes. Keep in mind: as with any new technological invention, there are numerous tools that can make your life easier. The trick is finding the one that fits your needs perfectly.
If you’re looking for a versatile solution that can handle almost any business or personal website, then Five Layer is the perfect match. The amazing thing is that it is incredibly versatile and completely free! Let’s take a quick look at the key features of Five Layer and why it is the perfect fit for anyone looking to create a new website.
Key Features
The key features of Five Layer are as follows:
- RWD
- Mobile-Friendly
- Retina-Quality Icons
- Fully Responsive
- SEO Optimized
- Lightweight
- Translation Ready
Key Benefits
With the switch to a responsive WordPress theme, you gain the ability to:
- Focus more on content than design
- Scale to any resolution
- Reduce the need for separate mobile and desktop sites
- Take advantage of new media
- Get back to basics with a fully functional website
- Give the website a native feel using real web fonts
- Create a more immersive experience for visitors using video and images
- The list goes on
Additionally, with the shift to a responsive WordPress theme, your current web designer may have to update their software or learn a new framework, resulting in a cost savings for you.
Let’s get back to the point of this article. As we mentioned above, the concept behind a responsive website is to create one website that automatically adjusts to suit any device. With that in mind, it is important that your web designer takes the time to understand what you are looking for in terms of the user experience on different devices. Once they have an idea of the type of device you are using, they can then create a tailored experience for you. For example, if you are looking for a tablet-optimized experience, then they will create an app-like feel using large, vibrant images and preferably no text.
Why Should You Try Out Five Layer?
If you’re looking for a high-quality, lightweight WordPress theme that can handle just about any website or blog, then check out Five Layer. Moreover, the fact that it is completely free and customizable to fit your needs makes it an even more tempting proposition.
With the switch to a responsive WordPress theme, your current web designer may have to update their software or learn a new framework, resulting in a cost savings for you. Moreover, by making your site mobile-friendly, you can take advantage of new media and gain a competitive edge in today’s ever-evolving market.
Where Can I Buy Five Layer?
If you want to try out Five Layer, then you can visit the Theme Forest and purchase it there. Alternatively, you can contact the theme’s author via email and ask them for the FTP (File Transfer Protocol) login details to have full access to the source files. Finally, you can find a listing of reputable WordPress theme vendors here.
Now that you are equipped with the knowledge required to make the right decision, it’s time to put this theory into practice. Make sure to take a look at Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test Tool to determine if your website is ready for the big switch. And if you decide that it is, then visit WordPress to begin the process of switching your website to a fully responsive theme.