Next time you’re at a restaurant take a moment to pause and look around. You’ll quickly notice people are more fixated on their phones rather than on each other.
Whether you like it or not the mobile era is here and taking over. The BBC News predict the number of mobile phones to exceed the number of the global population.
With the exponentially improving technology on our mobile devices it’s imperative to make sure your online product is available for your audience on a mobile platform.
To guide you through the different avenues of mobile development the two main options are summarised below so you can be equipped with the basic language and knowledge when opting for this service.
Responsive vs Separate Mobile Site
There are 2 types of approach to mobile development; Responsible Web Design (RWD) and Separate Mobile build (also known as Adaptive Web Design).
Responsive Web Design
- A RWD uses all the information on the desktop site to display on a mobile device in a rearranged manner.
Separate Site (Adaptive)
- This method of development creates a completely separate site to the desktop. The information on the desktop can be limited/separate when displayed on the mobile devices.
Head to head
Which one is for you? How do they compare? Here’s the summary:
| Aspect | Responsive (RWD) | Separate Site |
|---|---|---|
|
Content |
Same as the desktop. One change for both platforms. |
Allows for custom content. Separate content updates required. |
|
URL |
Same as the desktop. |
Separate URL (e.g. m.yoursite.com.au) |
|
User Experience |
Same as the desktop. |
Allows for different user experience (focused/targeted content) |
|
Code base |
Same as the desktop. |
Separate code from the desktop. |
|
Performance |
Maybe slower to load than the desktop site due to the mobile device performance restrictions. |
Can be very quick depending on if requests are processed server-side or client-side. |
|
SEO |
One campaign. |
A separate campaign. |
|
Devices |
One RWD fits all. |
Multiple builds may be required for different devices (e.g. iPads, Samsung Notepads etc) |
|
Budget |
Low-Mid Range |
High Range |
Which one is better?
There is no clear winner to say one is better as both work really well. The question is which one fits you best according to your requirements and budget.
What now?
Now that the basics are on the table you’re ready to sit with your web consultant to discuss your mobile development needs.
More questions?
At Itomic we love to help, lets have coffee sometime.