Welcome to the new currencymarketing.ca. A lot has changed since our last redesign, namely the popularity of mobile devices, like the iPhone and iPad.
Click on the image to enlarge
There are three prevailing schools of thought on how to address this mobile design challenge:
- Create a mobile version of your site
- Push users to a mobile app instead
- Create one site that responds to the device it's being viewed on
The first option is the easiest, but it's a compromise. Rather than supplying the same content to all devices, mobile sites typically scale back the content and only provide basic information.
Option two may seem attractive and trendy, given how infatuated with apps the world has become, but it's not necessarily a good idea for small businesses that aren't providing real utility with their apps. A mobile banking app for a credit union provides real utility, while a mobile app for reading blog and web content doesn't provide additional value over what's available on the web. In addition, mobile app development is expensive and there are too many platforms to support (iOS, Android and Windows Phone to name a few). There is also too much friction to download an app. In fact, Deloitte conducted a study in late 2011 and determined that most branded apps have been downloaded less than 1,000 times. Plus, you can't easily link to your content on social networks and your content is not easily found on search engines.
In our opinion, number three, responsive web design, is the best option for businesses looking to modernize their websites. It's harder than simply slapping together a mobile site and it requires a more minimal approach to visuals and text, but the benefit is that everyone gets access to the same information and functionality no matter what device they are using. All they need is a browser and an Internet connection.
If you are looking at this on your computer, you can play with the width of your browser window to see it adapt.
What do you think of the new digs?
Tim