Mobile Web Services
Ensuring that your web properties are accessible and usable on mobile devices is absolutely essential given the ever growing popularity of smartphones, tablets and mobile devices.
There are four main ways to approach this problem:
- Optimise your standard website to be more suitable for smaller screens
- Use a responsive web design which adapts to the user's browser size
- Develop a separate mobile website
- Create bespoke mobile applications
The right solution for you will depends on the objectives for your site, the nature of your content and the characteristics of your your target market. The table below gives an overview of the key advantages and disadvantages of each solution.
It's a minefield of considerations and Squiz can help with determining and implementing the right approach for your organisation. Get in touch with us to find out more.
Standard Website
Pros
- Guarantees consistent content across all devices.
- Doesn't require additional resources for development or maintenance.
- One single web address available to all users.
Cons
- Will render differently depending on the browser and device's capabilities.
- Is likely to result in sites that are incredibly difficult to navigate on many devices – poor user experience.
- Download times can be much slower if files sizes are large.
Responsive Web Design
Pros
- Retains consistency of content regardless of device.
- Maximises usability and optimises user experience.
- Maximises availability and accessibility for all users.
- Requires minimal additional resources and only one site needs to be maintained.
- One single web address available to all users.
Cons
- Even if some of a webpage's content is resized or hidden, it will all be downloaded, so image and file sizes need to be optimised.
- As for all websites, it is subject to variable rendering of different browsers and devices.
Mobile Website(s)
Pros
- Allows developers to tailor content and design to the user's mobile context to maximise usability.
- Capabilities are increasing to the point that mobile websites can now have similar functionality to apps.
- Requires less resources for development and maintenance than a mobile application.
Cons
- Results in inconsistent content between the mobile and main website.
- Requires significant additional resources for development and maintenance.
- Is subject to variable rendering of different browsers and devices.
Mobile Application(s)
Pros
- Can deliver an excellent user experience and sophisticated functionality.
- Full control over the design and functionality of the app.
- Can provide an opportunity for a high conversion rate and/or revenue generation given the right product.
Cons
- Delivers a different experience to that of a website.
- Requires the user to download the application and store it on their device.
- Require significant resources for development and maintenance.
- Subject to the platform's approval process.
- Only available to users with that particular device.
