A mobile version of your website or a responsive design will allow your website site to be more appropriate for all view ports / screens (smart phones, tablets, desktops). A mobile or responsive design can offer simple navigation and optimised content, but you should be aware there are differences in these types of design solutions.
What is responsive design websites?
Responsive design is when a website adjusts or "responds" to the screen that you are viewing it on - the viewport allows you to see everything clearly without having to "pull and pinch" on smaller screens. So if you are looking at the site on a laptop, it will look different again if you view it on a smartphone. Responsive layouts adjust to the viewport of the device.
What is mobile design for websites?
The alternative to a full site with a responsive layout could be a mobile version of your website. Offer your site visitors a small portion of content from your website that is suitable for site visitors on a smart phone. Decide if you need the entire contents of your website served to your clients or the user experience would be best if minimal content was accessible for mobile users.
Examples of mobile and responsive website layouts
Here are a few projects that we've built that show the differences in design options. View these on your laptop or tablet, then view them on your smartphone.
VIEW RESPONSIVE LAYOUTS
www.honeyiscratchedthecar.com.au
MOBILE LAYOUTS
Visit these sites on your smart phone and you will see the mobile version ~
www.shilleenasdanceacademy.com.au
Further reading
- 10 Things Not to Do with your mobile visitors
- When Responsive Design is Not an Option: a checklist for optimizing your mobile site
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