Responsive Website Design Versus Mobile Sites
Just ten years ago, it was rare for anyone to access websites from their phones. Now, in today’s rapidly evolving, tech-focused economy, many websites are seeing as much as a third of their traffic coming from mobile and smart devices.
This is actually great news if you’ve already embraced a mobile presence because your competition for business is actually weaker. Many companies see a drop-off in mobile conversions due to poor design and user interfaces.
So what is the best way to keep consumers and audience engaged with the product and brand? There are really two main options: a responsive web design or a mobile site. If you aren’t using either, then it might be best to take a big step backward and reflect on how far you would like to fall behind in the Internet age.
Which is better: responsive or mobile? There are pros and cons to both, so it’s best we get those out of the way before we answer the question.
The pros of a responsive web design are that you have a single website and URL. This means you’ll save time and money on SEO, marketing, and maintenance. The cons of the responsive web design are that you have to account for both platforms, which can be a technical nightmare. Unless your audience uses your site the same way on a desktop as they would on a mobile device, you will end up sacrificing functionality on one version for an increased performance on the other.
The pros of a dedicated mobile site are that you’ve tailored your new site to the needs of the mobile user, the website will load faster, and it will benefit from location-based searches and mobile GPS functionality. The con for mobile sites is that you now have two separate websites and URLs. This means you’ll have to spend more time on SEO optimization, content management, and overall maintenance, because no matter how hard you try, your mobile site will never be compatible with a desktop browser.
The answer to whether to invest in a separate mobile-dedicated website or stick with one responsive designed website is fairly simple—if money is no object and we are considering this question in an economic vacuum. Do your consumers interact with brands the same way on a desktop as they do on a mobile device?
Consider companies like airlines or hotels. Users' mobile interactions are often far different than on a desktop. Users are likely checking their reservations rather than browsing for new flights and places to stay. Thus, the functionality that is emphasized to meet customer needs is to be reflected in two unique versions of the website.
If your consumers and audience experience your brand the same on the web as they would on their tablet and mobile device, then a responsive designed website is clearly the answer. If the needs vary based on the device used, then a separate site is the answer. It’s as simple as that.
