Here’s why you need it…
Any way you want to call it - optimization for multi-screen use or design for mobile devices – it’s very important because the use of mobile devices to surf the web and gather information or to do specific actions is growing rapidly.
As we present in this article: RSJoomla! 2014 Overview and 2015 Promise, statistics show that over 80% of internet users use a Smartphone. Users also own laptops, tablets, game consoles, smart TV’s and smart watches, and they access your website through all of these tools.
As if that’s not enough... SEO kicks in!
On April 21 of this year Google released a new website ranking algorithm that affects search engine optimization and gives a boost to mobile-friendly sites. Search Engine Land was even calling it mobilegeddon because it meant that if your website was not mobile-friendly, your mobile traffic would decrease. Fortunately, if you make your website mobile-friendly now, it will be reprocessed and increase in ranking.
To find out more on the subject, you can read 9 Things You Need to Know About Google's Mobile-Friendly Update from Moz.
When making the decision on how to optimize your website, you have to consider the fact that every option has pros and cons, so when you choose a design plan, choose according to your website needs and budget, and focus on ROI.
Think about it…
When I say website needs, I mean think about how you can stay relevant for your customers, think about how they surf your website to ensure that they get a pleasant user experience (UX) every time and you get positive feedback and increased conversion rate.
To stay relevant, your choices are:
Complete Responsive Web Design (RWD)
- Google representatives say it is the least error-prone, and easiest to crawl and index (Source: Moz Blog);
- Pierre Farr, one of Google’s reps went on the record to declare that Google prefers responsive web design over mobile templates, because by having only one URL, it is easier to crawl, so SEO wise it gets extra points (Source: Search Engine Land);
- one site for many devices and it’s expensive, but you only do it once;
- some would say that because of the rapid increase in mobile device types and screen sizes, responsive would be the answer; it’s future ready as they say;
- If you choose this option, make sure your website becomes 100% responsive. Here are some great sources to get you started on responsive web design: 44 Responsive Web Design Resources: The Ultimate List.
Mobile Version or m.site
- Google is directly recognizing them as mobile-friendly because they’re custom made for mobile;
- great for user experience and load fast;
- cheaper and can be implemented quickly;
- the mobile version needs to be maintained separately;
- works on older browsers and devices, but is not universally compatible;
- To get you started, read up The Ultimate Guide to Developing Mobile Websites.
Adaptive Web Design (AWD)
- the device used is detected and one of the pre-established website versions is rendered;
- the pre-established website versions don’t work on all the display sizes out there;
- it’s a good option for smaller websites, because it’s easy to make, and your would not need as many resources;
- If you have a small audience, lower load time and lower flexibility are not an issue.
- Read more about adaptive web design here: What is adaptive web design (AWD) and when should you use it?
Native App
- it’s software specially developed for mobile devices, but it needs to be compatible with your operating system;
- application updates will not be easy to make;
- the most expensive solution, it offers the best user experience because it’s flexible and the user benefits from mobile specific features;
- works fast and doesn’t need internet connection; marketing and SEO will be more difficult.
- users have to go through download and install processes;
- To get more info on mobile apps, you can visit these 12 Essential Resources for Building a Killer Mobile App.
One more thing, don’t forget to track your performance...
Optimization for mobile devices check tools
What better tools to check if your site is mobile-friendly or not than the ones from Google; you can examine individual pages with the Mobile-Friendly Test or check the status of your entire site through the Mobile Usability report in Webmaster Tools.
What do you think?
Which option are you leaning for? And why? We’d love to know your thoughts on this important topic.
