The Importance of Having a Mobile Friendly Website
With over 40% of your website’s traffic coming through mobile devices these days, how your site looks on a smartphone or tablet is vital to your digital footprint. The two most common options are dedicated mobile sites and responsive websites.
A dedicated mobile site is a separate site from the desktop version of your website. When someone accesses your site from a mobile device they are automatically directed to the mobile site instead of the normal one. This allows web developers to incorporate a solution perfect for the small screen size of mobile devices.
A responsive website is the exact same site as the desktop version of your website. A responsive site immediately resizes and reformats the content of your site depending on the size of the screen being used. Using a response website design is a bit simpler than developing a mobile site.
Mobile sites and responsive websites each provide users with unique benefits. If you are in the process of deciding how to handle your site’s mobile platform, read our comparison below:
Cost Comparison
In general, the cost of designing your mobile site is contextual. Many times creating a mobile version of your site will be costly, but responsive websites can be costly as well. If you are developing a new site, then you will save money using a responsive design, as building a responsive design from the get-go is usually inexpensive.
If you are working with an unresponsive and large website, it can be costly to convert the whole site to a responsive design. In many cases like the above, it makes financial sense to create a mobile version of the site.
As well, responsive sites tend to have a lower maintenance costs when compared with dedicated mobile sites. This is due to the fact that responsive sites are much easier to update than mobile sites.
Ease of Maintenance
In terms of ease of use, responsive websites tend to be much easier to use than a dedicated mobile site. This is for a number of reasons. First, when using a responsive design you only have one website to deal with. When using a mobile site you are dealing with two different websites. When creating and publishing content on a mobile site, you may be required to create separate content for each site.
As well, responsive websites require less on going costs and maintenance due to the ability to automatically update. A mobile site will require you to manually update as technology evolves.
Search Functionality
Responsive websites shine in terms of search engine optimization and search functionality when compared with mobile sites. Google is not fond of mobile sites as the two different site format hurts link equity.
By creating two different sites, you will dilute your domain and hurt your organic search traffic. A responsive design is simply a new code on the back end of your site; your domain stays the same. This is better option for searches as your link equity stay in tact.
Conversion & User Experience
The one area mobile sites can add value to organizations is through the user experience and converting sales. A well-designed dedicated mobile site will provide users a much preferable mobile experience when compared to a responsive website. As well, a mobile site typically converts three times better than a responsive website.
In The End…
The best option for your mobile platform will depend on your business and your website history. By using the comparisons above, you should be able to make an educated decision on which mobile platform is the best choice for your business.