We've developed our website with a responsive framework and launched it just a few days ago. We are very excited with the overall result. During the process we've came across a few problems and decided to compile a list of questions you should ask yourself before going responsive with a project.
 
There's no questions about how sleek and handy a responsive design gets. A single solution to fit any device becomes a big plus when creating a website. However, like everything in life, there's always pros and cons when you make a decision. So before deciding to go responsive and invest your time and budget, keep in mind some crucial points:
 
Images are resizing, but is the loading time too?
Pay attention to images in mobile. Although the image is rendering in a smaller size it doesn't mean loading a smaller file. Responsive also requires extra server calls which can make pages load slowly and make your mobile users abandon your site.
 
Complexity
According to the complexity of the website, setting an accurate responsive may become a very extensive task. If your website has more than one language to choose from, some areas may also need additional time to tune up. At the end of the day more effort means more time, so keep this in mind when choosing responsiveness.
 
Cross-browser
Older versions of browsers, like IE8 and below (as usual), don't support media queries.
 
Differente devices, different goals
Although the layout is adjustable, each device as its own needs. The mental model of users while using mobile devices is also different. For instance, if you have buttons to slide across images on your desktop website, you should consider changing the interaction when the site is rendered on a touch screen, swiping images rather than pressing buttons. Also, keep in mind designing for mobile first when it comes to your content strategy.
 
Is responsive the best solution?
There are tons of information online going trough all the benefits and drawbacks of responsive. We've just pointed a few that we find essential when choosing responsive. Is responsive the best solution? You have to decide for yourself and balance the pros and cons according to your project considering time, resources, complexity, goals and budget. From our point of view, responsive is definitely a great choice for websites that don't require too many different interactions. You can get a consistent look across every screen resolution in a single link. If it is a product rather than a landing page or a company website, you should consider creating a mobile specific product rather of porting your website. Don't just go responsive just because its a trend. Think if the needs fits the goals first.