Create a Responsive Site In Minutes With Striking.ly

The Necessity of Responsive Web Design

In today's digital landscape, a responsive site is essential for reaching a broader audience. Users access the internet through a multitude of devices, and a responsive design ensures a consistent experience across all platforms.

Responsive web designs function by identifying the device being used to access a website. Subsequently, the site dynamically adjusts its layout to provide the most suitable viewing experience for that specific device.

This adaptability is crucial, whether visitors are browsing on mobile phones while commuting or using desktop computers at home. Platforms like Striking.ly are designed to manage these transitions seamlessly.

Striking.ly: A Versatile Website Builder

Striking.ly offers capabilities that extend beyond simple profile pages, functioning as a more robust alternative to platforms like About.me.

With Striking.ly, users can develop a variety of online presences, including:

Professional portfolios to showcase work.
Effective landing pages for marketing campaigns.
Digital resumes for career advancement.
Compelling pitch decks for presentations.

The platform’s versatility makes it a valuable tool for individuals and businesses alike seeking to establish a strong online presence.

Plan Selection

For individuals requiring a single website, the complimentary plan may prove sufficient. This free tier enables the creation of two single-page websites and provides access to a variety of templates.

Furthermore, it includes page analytics, 500MB of bandwidth, and 100MB of storage capacity.

Upgrading Options

A monthly subscription of $8 unlocks the Starter plan. This plan expands your resources to include 2GB of bandwidth and 500MB of storage.

It also grants access to all available templates, custom domain integration, and Google Analytics functionality.

Professional Tier

The Professional plan, priced at $16 per month, offers increased capabilities. With this tier, users can manage up to 10 websites.

Unlimited bandwidth and storage are provided, alongside all the features of the Starter plan. Additional benefits include the ability to upload a custom favicon and the removal of Strikingly branding.

Free Plan: 2 one-page websites, templates, analytics, 500MB bandwidth, 100MB storage.
Starter Plan: $8/month, analytics, 2GB bandwidth, 500MB storage, custom domains, Google Analytics, all templates.
Professional Plan: $16/month, 10 sites, unlimited bandwidth & storage, custom favicon, no Strikingly branding.

Selecting a Theme for Your Website

Upon registration for a complimentary account, users are initially presented with a selection of six responsive themes. While premium themes are anticipated for future release, pricing details remain undisclosed at this time. The current offering of six themes ensures a suitable option for a diverse range of users.

The Fresh theme is ideally suited for new businesses, non-profit organizations, or startups. Its top-positioned menu offers suggestions for structuring your website content, including sections dedicated to your services, team, testimonials, and social media presence.

Ivory provides an excellent platform for photographers, artists, and other visual creatives. It supports both grid-based thumbnail displays and full-width image presentations. Furthermore, it simplifies the creation of distinct portfolios, all accessible through a top navigation menu.

Perspectives is designed to powerfully showcase photography through a full-screen layout that minimizes template distractions. A subtle navigation menu is positioned on the left side, enabling seamless transitions between images. A contact form can also be integrated to facilitate visitor communication.

If you are launching a startup and wish to avoid extensive website development, Pitchdeck is a perfect choice. This theme allows you to quickly communicate information about your service, product, and team. The PitchDeck preview also provides insights into the team behind Strikingly itself, offering a glimpse into the company’s origins.

Interestingly, Strikingly was founded by three entrepreneurs located in Chicago and Hong Kong, and secured its first paying customer in August.

Ion is another portfolio-focused theme, well-suited for visual artists who prefer a more prominent menu or sidebar. The large sidebar on the left facilitates easy navigation, and, similar to Ivory, allows for the organization of work into individual albums.

Echo represents the final template option, also a portfolio, but geared towards graphic designers. The layout incorporates sections for introducing yourself, displaying your work, and providing a contact method for visitors.

Building Your Website

Following your template selection, a Strikingly URL must be chosen. Subsequently, the intuitive WYSIWYG editor streamlines the process of adding your content to the website.

The provided templates offer a convenient starting point, suggesting effective ways to utilize each section. However, complete customization is possible, allowing you to modify menu items and determine the content's arrangement.

Menu items can be easily renamed, existing images replaced with your own uploads, and text content updated. Images can be sourced from platforms like Flickr, Instagram, Facebook, and Dropbox, or imported via online search or direct URL. Strikingly provides integrated image editing capabilities powered by Aviary, enabling effects and adjustments.

Beyond editing existing content, the number of sections can be adjusted to fit your specific requirements. Entire sections can be added or removed as needed. Further granular changes can be implemented within each individual section.

For instance, within the 'Social' section of the Fresh template, the Facebook icon can be removed if a Facebook page isn't being promoted. Additional, similar items can also be added; for example, an Instagram page can be included. The order of these elements can be altered through a simple drag-and-drop interface.

Final Assessment

Strikingly demonstrates exceptional ease of use, delivering visually appealing and professional websites to its users. It genuinely fulfills the promise inherent in its name.

The platform’s capabilities for responsive web design are noteworthy. We invite your thoughts on Strikingly – share your experiences in the comments section below.