TMCnet Feature Free eNews Subscription
October 28, 2020

Which Version is Best for Google: Mobile, Responsive, or App?



According to statistics, in 2020, mobile devices took over 51% of the global website traffic. Experts say that this number will only increase during the next few years and may get to 60% and more. Realizing this trend, professional marketers are throwing all their energy into developing websites that attract tablet and smartphone users. They focus on touchscreen-friendly design, content, and functionality.



If you are a business owner and your website has faced the problem of not being mobile-friendly enough, here are several ways you can use to solve it:

  • Make it responsive;
  • Create a separate mobile version of the site;
  • Develop an app.

Each method has its pros and cons. Let's have a closer look at them to define the most suitable solution for your business.

What Is the Difference between Mobile-Responsive and Mobile-Friendly?

Responsive design allows you to adjust the page content based on the size of the screen it's viewed at. Therefore, such a site is convenient to use both on a large screen and portable device.

It automatically adapts to PC monitors as well as tablet and smartphone screens. It not only looks different on diverse types of devices but also functions differently. For example, the desktop version may have a full range of options and a large menu, and the mobile one can display only the most popular tabs on top and hide all the rest in the bottom part of the page.

Responsive website design has three main advantages:

  1. The possibility to choose different types of content to shows users, depending on the device.
  2. Ease to adjust: the content is synchronously updated on both desktop and mobile versions.
  3. SEO benefits: responsive mobile sites are more welcomed by Google (News - Alert).

However, this type of web design also has its disadvantages:

  1. You need to optimize your website for faster loading on mobile devices.
  2. Devices with smaller screens require creating a separate compact menu.
  3. Website testing time is increased.

Click learn more if you want to get more detailed information about responsive design.

Mobile-friendly design is intended for both desktop and mobile screens, but, unlike responsive design, it doesn't adjust to the screen size. Usually, it's a single design that works well on PC and looks cropped on a mobile device.

The website functions the same on desktop, tablet, and smartphone. The only thing that is adjusted to the mobile device is the website's appearance. Browsing this type of site requires lots of zooming, which is not convenient for touchscreen users. They may also struggle to click buttons or fill in forms, which are extremely cropped sometimes.

So, the main disadvantage of mobile-friendly websites is that they are not touchscreen-friendly. However, they are cheap to design. Low price is, probably, the only advantage of the mobile-friendly design. Unfortunately, the money that you save may cost your website a position in the Google ranking list. And the reasons are explained below.

Does Google Prefer Responsive Design?

Yes, it does.

Since April 21, 2015, after Google implemented the Mobilegeddon, there has been a kind of shift to the concept of displaying a site on various devices: starting from a 27-inch desktop monitor to the smallest mobile screen. The new search engine algorithm ensures that when googled from mobile devices, mobile-friendly websites are ranked higher than the standard ones. This innovation allowed smartphone owners to get access to the information they needed more conveniently.

Google, let's say, stood up to protect users who log on to the network from mobile devices and cell phones. And overnight, it forced website owners and developers to take into account the peculiarities of web searching from devices with small screens and browsers with limited functionality.

The goal was to improve the information display for small screens. But, as a result, it stimulated web page owners to use the principles of responsive design for building or rebuilding their sites.

The concepts of responsive design and responsive website layout are not new, and they have been applied for several years now. But earlier, when the lack of adaptability had almost no effect on the site's position in search results, these concepts were applied only if recommended by webmasters and marketing studios. Today, the situation is the opposite. Responsive design is seen as a mandatory feature of any web page.

Why Is It Better to Use Responsive Web Design for Mobile Apps?

A mobile application is an independent software package with its design and navigation. To use it, a visitor must find and download it from AppStore or Google Play and install it on his/her mobile device. A mobile app allows the site owner to establish a permanent connection with the user, send push notifications, and remind about changes or ongoing marketing campaigns.

For a website owner, a mobile application is mainly a channel of communication with the most loyal audience. It is convenient for regular users to log in to their accounts with one click, see the history of purchases, comments, events, receive notifications, and save payment methods, contact details, and other information.

However, if the site does not have a responsive design, and the visitor is too lazy to install the application, then he or she is most likely to leave the web page. Therefore, the ideal option for a website owner is to have the main site with a responsive layout and a mobile application for regular customers.

Yes, the development of a mobile application is a costly process. Moreover, you will need to invest in developing and maintaining two apps (for iOS, Android (News - Alert)) and their placing in application stores (AppStore, Google Play). However, you'll get a powerful tool for communicating with clients and promoting your products.



» More TMCnet Feature Articles
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. [Free eNews Subscription]
SHARE THIS ARTICLE

LATEST TMCNET ARTICLES

» More TMCnet Feature Articles