Pretty much every company now has to have a mobile-friendly website because so many people check the web on their phones. But the main type of phone-browsing design, called responsive web design, isn't everyone's favorite. Is that your only option if you want your website to be mobile-friendly? It turns out you have more options, which is good because responsive design has some drawbacks.
Easiest for Mobile Users
There's no doubt that responsive design is best for mobile users; it is meant to be displayed well using mobile browsers. Because phone screens vary in size quite a bit, a responsive site can change to fit each size without much of a problem. Icons are made bigger and text often does not have to be resized manually to be readable on a small screen.
Not the Easiest for Desktop Users
Responsive design is not very desktop-friendly. It's certainly viewable, but the browser window will often have an oversized header, randomly floating icons, and sometimes zero printing capability. For companies who know that the vast majority of their website users are using mobile browsers, a responsive design can be the most efficient choice, but if you think your users are going to look at the site on a laptop or desktop computer, using responsive design can be less than optimal.
It is possible to design a responsive site so that it displays well on desktops. But that takes more programming and can be a more expensive option. Still, it can be worth it if you really want to optimize your site for every screen.
Adaptive Is an Option
Responsive design isn't the only mobile-friendly design out there. Adaptive design (where the page adapts itself by simply loading a scaled-down version designed for the size of the browser window) is a fairly inexpensive option for companies that don't want to deal with how responsive sites usually look on desktops. But adaptive design can become complicated if your website has a lot of elements simply because that is a lot of stuff to shove into a window not optimized for viewing on mobile screens.
Can Two Websites Work?
This is usually the most expensive option because you have to have someone design and maintain two separate websites, not to mention update each of them and ensure that mobile and desktop users are finding the right sites. Only use this option if your site contains items that can't be resized or moved around easily.
Rather than trying to go it alone with the web design, set up a consultation with a design company, such as Scotti Design, to determine which type of design is going to be best for you. The design company may know about features and factors that could change your mind about different options.
Share19 September 2016
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