Mobile Responsive or Mobile Website

by Steve Danikowski on June 18, 2012 tagged Internet Marketing Services, mobile responsive websites, Mobile Web Design

mobile-responsive-web-design Mobile is a crazy hot topic right now. Everyone’s talking about skyrocketing mobile usage. Almost every consumer in the world carries a cell phone with text message capabilities and smartphones are growing by double digits. There’s even a statistic that claims 26% of smartphone users exclusively use their phone to access the internet. That’s huge!

The question isn’t “should you have a mobile site”, it’s “when will you have a mobile site!”

6.8 Million Android And iOS Devices Were Activated on Xmas Day 2011, 242 Million Apps Downloaded Source: TechCrunch

In the last twelve months, customers around the world have ordered more than US$1 billion of products from Amazon using a mobile device ~Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com (July 2010).

Gartner predicts mobile ad revenue will be US$3.3 billion in 2011. This will sky rocket to $20.6 billion in 2015, more than doubling each year. It will continue to grow thereafter.

Gartner (March 2010) predicts that in 2011, over 85 percent of handsets shipped globally will include some form of browser.

Mobile Options

Your Website on a Mobile Device

Viewing a PC website on a mobile device is a painful experience. Users are forced to scroll, pinch and maneuver to view tiny sections of your site. Additionally, some technologies used on PC sites, such as Flash and Java, does not work on all smartphones, ipads or tablets. Unfortunately, this is the only option most businesses offer their mobile visitors. In today’s market this option is no longer acceptable.

Your Website AND a Mobile Website

Recommended for companies that don’t want to redesign their website but need a mobile presence.

Studies have shown that smartphone users are usually looking for a quick answer, a local deal or directions. They aren’t surfing for research information. A mobile site can be the perfect compliment to your established PC site. You can use it for mobile QR code campaigns, maps, directions, push to call, newsletter and text messaging signups as well as basic information about your business. A mobile site is menu driven and provides streamlined navigation to your select information. It’s designed and maintained separate from your PC site. A redirect script is added to the header of your PC site to detect and forward visitors on a mobile device.

Pros: Quick deployment. Ideal for mobile specials and targeted information. Fast download on smartphones. Your current site remains unchanged. Less expensive than a complete mobile responsive redesign.

Cons: More expensive to maintain 2 websites. Content needs to be added and updated on both sites.

Mobile Responsive Website for all Devices

The one-site-fits-all solution. Responsive design is gaining popularity because it’s the most intelligent, affordable way to serve all customers on all platforms. With new screen resolutions hitting the market every day, it’s impossible to keep up. A responsive website automatically switches to deliver a website based on the users screen size, platform and orientation. If you’re ready to redesign your current website and want to maintain one site that serves all customers, a responsive site is your solution.

Google has endorsed mobile responsive sites and they may soon become a component in your SEO score.

Pros: Serves all Apple, Android, Blackberry and Windows users now and into the future. Less expensive to maintain. One site to update. Latest technology.

Cons: Slower load times than a mobile website. Longer development time.

Mobile Apps

Mobile Apps are extremely popular and used slightly more than a mobile browser (54% to 52% respectively) Apps are perfect for companies with a large database of information because they’re faster than a mobile browser. Apps also provide more core functionality and can link to other apps, when a browser can’t. Developing an app will cost anywhere from $2000 to $15,000 depending on the complexity. Since apps are platform specific, you’ll need one for the most popular Android phones as well as iPhones, at a minimum. After development, a Google Play account and iTunes Developer account is required to distribute your app. Apps can be costly investments which require regular maintenance and upgrades. They’re not a viable solution for most businesses.

Pros: Faster than a mobile site, Great for Branding, Can utilize push messaging to customers once app is installed.

Cons: Platform specific, Must develop several apps to serve all visitors, Must be downloaded, Doesn’t work with QR codes, Most expensive solution

Starter Site

Mobile Responsive:

5 Page website
Custom Designed Home Page
Photo Slider, 3 pictures
3 Embedded YouTube Videos
1 Photo Gallery Page (up to 20 pictures)
SEO Optimized Titles, Tags & Headers
Push to Call Button

Social Media Links
Google Map to Your Business
Post Content and News Through Dashboard
1st Year Hosting Included
5 Email Accounts
Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools
Pre-design Interview About Your Business

*Customer to supply us with for content and pictures.
*Get started for only $425 down, $425 due before site goes live.
*Yearly Hosting Renewal $119
*Additional content creation, graphics design, ecommerce and custom services billed at $40-$60hr.

Full Details