Two words being bandied about with increasing frequency with regard to web design are Responsive and Adaptive - essentially two ways to design and program a website for use on mobile devices. A Responsive site is one that is designed in such a way that it will "respond" to the type of device it is being displayed on and conform accordingly, literally rearranging the content to best fit the screen. Conversely, an Adaptive site is one that retains it's overall look, but is scaled to fit the screen on the device. Lastly there are mobile sites. These sites are dedicated to fit smaller screens found on mobile devices, and generally offer limited capability. So here's the big question. What do you need?
It's not a simple question to answer, but it's one worth investigating if you're considering a site redesign. It's also worth noting that Responsive and Adaptive are very similar. Essentially these two techniques offer different ways to skin the proverbial cat. We think the more important question is Adaptive/Responsive vs. Mobil. Here are some things to think about when you venture down the Responsive/Adaptive v. Mobil path.
1. How do your customers/clients/prospects use your current site? Are you in a B2B industry where your clients sit behind a desk and research products in your category? Do your customers research your products on the go? Analyze how your customers seek information in your category first to determine how much they even care if your site is Responsive or Adaptive. You see it's not enough to ask if your customers use mobile devices. Chances are they do. It's whether or not they use mobile devices for interacting with companies in your category.
2. OK, so let's assume your customers/prospects use mobile devices for interacting with companies in your category. What next? The next move is to understand how they interact. What do they want to do when they are mobile? Do they only need directions? A phone number? Or do they want to order a product. Chances are, your customers won't be interacting in a in-depth manner, especially a smart phone. So what do they want to know? If you find that you only need to offer limited information for mobile users, then maybe a mobile design will suffice.
Understanding how and why your customers interact with your site will pay dividends as you move down the path toward Responsive/Adaptive and mobile websites. It's about being smart with content, design, and user experience to create the best overall connection to your brand.
What do you think? Give us your thoughts.
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