The evolution of smartphones has changed the world of business, as many consumers today prefer to get the information they need right on their fingertips. In fact, studies shows that about 96% of mobile users have researched a specific product or service on their device. With a huge market like this, who would not want to go mobile?
Evaluate Your Existing Site
Before jumping onto the mobile bandwagon, we recommend evaluating your existing site:
- Review your analytics to see how much of your audience is using mobile technology to access your information.
- Browse your site on a mobile device and determine if it is useable or if significant changes are needed for it to be mobile-firendly.
- Depending on the layout and content, your site might or might not be suitable for mobile. Designs like parallax scrolling look good on desktops and tablets, but frequently they don’t display well on smaller screens. (Parallax has SEO implications as well.)
Mobile Version vs. Responsive Website Design
When it comes to having a mobile-friendly site, there are two options and each have their own set of pros and cons:
1. Create a new mobile version of your existing site
Pros
- Can be created quickly.
- Will only have a few required pages of the main site so production will cost less than developing a full site.
- Can be tailored with mobile-rich technology like click to call or geo-specific functionality.
Cons
- A mobile version of your existing site means that you’ll have essentially two different websites and both will need updating whenever you have a change.
- Because there is less information available on this site, users may need to visit the full-site to get access to more.
2. Create a new site coded to be Responsive
Pros
- Responsive websites are made to be viewed on a variety of monitors and will adjust the content to fit the display whether smart phone, tablet or desktop.
- One website to update and maintain.
- Future-proofs your website.
Cons
- Responsive code cannot easily be added to an existing website. Frequently upgrading to Responsive, means getting a new site built.
- More development means longer development timeline.
- Cannot be used with Parallax design.
Budget
By going mobile, you need to set a budget for redesigning, developing, and maintaining your site. To go mobile or not, the decision is up to you, but we can help guide you to the right choice. Let us help you make the most out of your site. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Photo Credit: Michael Coghlan
