Weddingbells.ca is the latest in a string of St. Joseph Media websites to reveal a new look using responsive design, an approach to design that works both on desktops and mobile devices.
The St. Joseph-owned FashionMagazine.com debuted a responsive design in the fall, as did Torontoist.com in August 2011.
TorontoLife.com is also currently undergoing a responsive redesign, according to Angie McKaig, the company’s digital lifestyle brand director.
Websites that utilize responsive design resize to fit the screen of whatever device they’re viewed on, providing a better photo display. McKaig said this is important for Weddingbells readers who are looking for visual information, not text.
McKaig said responsive design was used to address the 20-25% of users who visit Weddingbells.ca on smartphones and tablets. During the site’s peak season, January, she said the percentage of mobile traffic is even higher. “Brides are very, very mobile-aware and do a lot of their wedding planning on mobile,” she said. “We wanted to make sure what we did was going to work for brides no matter what screen they are using.”
Weddingbells.ca’s new site also features a new widget that displays geolocated content from local wedding-related vendors across Canada. McKaig said the geotargeted ads are a cheaper alternative to the pricier display ads that may be out of reach for local vendors wanting to target a smaller audience.
In the first quarter of 2013 Weddingbells.ca will release new ad offerings associated with the redesign. McKaig said the brand is also working on an app to be released later in 2013.
