The fight between Responsive Web Design (RWD) and Mobile Sites doesn’t always have a clear winner. With 2013 being the “Year for Responsive Design”, let’s take a step back and see if RWD really won this war. Responsive web design uses a “one size fits all” strategy where one website is designed to be adapted to all devices. While many experts have recommended this approach as the way to design for the future web, mobile sites has been a close contender. Mobile sites are completely separate from the original desktop site. And although it comes with criticisms, many business have opted for a mobile site to present their mobile visitors with customized mobile content. Regardless of whether or not you choose a responsive web design or a mobile site for your brand, mobile users expect their experience on the web to be seamless. To create a customized web experience for mobile visitors, a mobile strategy needs to consider who the mobile users really are and present the content that matters the most to them. The presentation dives into the mobile war between responsive web design and mobile sites and helps businesses decide for themselves who the clear winner is.

1. THE
MOBILE
WAR
Why Responsive Web Design Doesn’t Always Win
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2. “For those of us who create websites and
services, all this leads to a singular
conclusion: A million screens have
bloomed, and we need to build for all of
them.”
- Pete Cashmore, CEO & Founder
Mashable.com

3. “The answer is simple: Responsive Design.”
- Jose Antonio Sanchez, Marketing Manager
Uberflip

4. Was 2013 really the year for responsive web design?

5. Was 2013 really the year for responsive web design?
How many websites have taken the responsive web design
or separate mobile site route?

6. Was 2013 really the year for responsive web design?
How many websites have taken the responsive web design
or separate mobile site route?
6%
Only
of top 100 Fortune 500 companies have sites
that comply with Google’s mobile requirements.

7. vs.
Responsive Web Design (RWD)
Separate
Mobile Site

8. “By the end of 2013, there will be more mobile devices
on Earth - than people.”
- Super Monitoring

9. Global mobile traffic accounts for
15%
of all web traffic.
- Super Monitoring

10. 50%
All mobile users use their mobile devices as their
primary means of going online.
- Super Monitoring

11. 68%
People research before
making a purchase using their smartphones.
- Super Monitoring

12. Why Responsive Web Design?
“Using a single URL for a piece of content makes it
easier for your users to interact with, share, and link to
your content, and a single URL for the content helps
Google's algorithms assign the indexing properties for
the content.”
- Google

13. One experience across all devices.

14. One URL = Seamless web experience for visitors =
One pagerank = Good SEO

15. Why A Separate Mobile Site?
“Good mobile user experience requires a different
design than what’s needed to satisfy desktop users.
Two designs, two sites, and cross-linking to make it all
work.”
- Jakob Nielsen, User Advocate & Principal
Nielsen Norman Group

16. Mobile features
include Book a
Tee Time, Hole
by Hole and
detailed course
information.
Find a Nearby
Course uses
mobile’s
geolocation
capabilities.
Content is pared
down on mobile
site to tailor to
golfers on-thego.
Read more about GolfBC’s mobile site.

17. Two URLs = Custom web experience design only for
mobile users + Meet specific goals

18. Common Criticisms of Mobile Sites
1. Multiple URLs lead to longer load times
2. Inconsistent user experience
3. Complex data management

19. Which one is
the winner?

20. Let’s
consider...

21. What are the goals of your site?
Awareness
E-commerce
Entertain
Inspire
Educate
Convince
Sell

22. What kind of web experience do you want to create?
Fun
Informational
Interactive

23. The Real
Winner is...

24. It’s a bit anti-climatic but...
Both.

25. Depends on the needs of your business.

26. Create a mobile strategy,
find who your mobile customers are and create a
customized web experience.

27. Mobile users today expect
a seamless web experience.

28. What makes a good mobile experience?
● Is the site structured for mobile?
● Can they read it?
● Can they easily navigate through the site on their
mobile device?
● Does it have the content they are looking for?
● How fast does it load?

29. Who a Responsive Web Design is for:
“Businesses that are focused on offering a consistent
experience and can plan holistically for all devices with a
single team. RWD can be expanded to fit new devices as
they emerge, and the single URL is good for linking and
sharing articles without confusion or redirects.”
- Google

30. Who a Mobile Site is for:
“Businesses that for any reason need to manage their
mobile site independently.”
- Google

31. Credits:
●
Building Websites for the Multi-Screen Customer via Google
●
Why 2013 Is the Year for Responsive Web Design via Mashable.com
●
Only 6% of Top 100 Fortune 500 Companies Have Sites That Comply with Google’s Mobile
Requirements via Search Engine Land
●
Mobile Site vs. Full Site via Nielsen Norman Group

32. Let’s Connect: Blog, LinkedIn, Twitter
Questions? info@thelevel.com
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