This is one of the best, and most concise, descriptions of the evolution of the mobile site that I have come across, written by Magalie Heberard. It’s in French so, in case you don’t speak the lingo, I have translated and summarized the author’s points, which doesn’t do justice to her lovely humor, unfortunately!
http://siecledigital.fr/2015/02/compatible-mobile-responsive-les-sites-web-lheure-du-mobile/
English Translation:
In the beginning there was chaos…2 images shown…
A homepage not designed for display on a mobile screen, and that made it necessary to scroll from left to right and right to left to see the content. Yes you are not dreaming : Allociné may have a great app adapted to its loyal audience, but as many brands it still has a site whose mobile display leaves much to be desired.
Then “mobile compatible” sites appeared and it got a little better. At least when we arrived on the site we could see the whole page on the screen of the device, the size of which grew to accommodate the device in question:
But admit it – beyond the fact that I did not choose the most glam example – it’s still relatively difficult to browse around in and to read: multiple menus, on which it is hard to click precisely, and type so small one is forced to enlarge the page, returning to the pre-cited problem of non-compatible mobile sites.
So we invented the mobile site …
The mobile site is not your website adapted to mobile, but another site entirely designed for use on the move. Let’s look, for example, at the experience offered by the sports association of GymSuédoise : image here…
We have the choice to go either to the website, which will offer us all the content, but not in a suitable version for mobile use, or to the mobile version, which offers a “light” content selection, thought to meet the most urgent needs of the members on the move: what’s the next step?
Air France has the same strategy: at the beginning of your navigation you are given the choice between mobile site and full site: images here…
The mobile experience, with its large touch pads and essential items is perfect for the traveler on the move or who looking for accurate info: images here…
It is always possible to be redirected to a compatible mobile homepage if you want to access other content.
Another example given…. (McDonalds images here)…
The Responsive Revolution
Responsive design was one of the major developments in 2013 and became standard in 2014. With this development, sites are programmed so that the blocks of content (text, menus , images) automatically adapt to the size of the screen on which they are played.
Example with Le Monde:… image here…
Faced with these examples, the virtues of responsive are obvious: simplified navigation, optimized reading experience, whatever the medium. Of course this does not happen by itself and the responsive design requires more work since each version must be anticipated and codified (set for each screen size where and how blocks should display). It’s probably not much fun keeping up with this.
Some brands go further still retaining a reflection on the mobile experience even if they have also made a responsive web site. This is for example the case of Voyages-sncf: mobile device (phone or tablet), a specific landing page appears without the mobile user having to make choices. The content is showcased with an ad hoc artistic direction that improves readability and navigation, and which deeps reservations as a priority.
Depending on the action of the user on the mobile landing page, they will be sent to the responsive Tavel SNCF site, as seen in the screenshot below, after clicking on the “summer specials” block (look in the browser, I switched from voyages-sncf.mobi to voyages-sncf.com ). images here…
And where are the apps in all this?
The subject of this article is the mobile site so I’m not going to start a great course on apps (phew!). A little history still to say that yes of course applications have lots of virtues. As seen above in the mobile sites Air France or GymSuédoise, we can build a really suitable interface with content designed for mobile. Once the client is “captured” by the app, we will be able to “work” in CRM and reap the qualified data on behavior. Another point, this time in terms of the development process, we can develop an app with an external service provider without necessarily having to negotiate with people who are sometimes not very flexible. … But don’t forget that the majority of time spent on apps is on only 5 apps (mostly social networks). They tend to be for organizations with a loyal following. It won’t look great to develop an app if nobody downloads it. So whatever happens, before embarking on a development of one or more apps, it is imperative to first and foremost optimize the mobile browsing experience of your mobile website.
We conclude by saying that if the traffic numbers on your site from mobile users are still marginal, it is perhaps precisely because you have not invested in optimizing the mobile experience. And there is still the thought that why invest in the mobile experience as it reaps little reward. On the contrary, the mobile experience is not about to go out of style. So, have a look at your site on your smartphone while walking down a street and you will not fail to come back from this epic trip with 2-3 ideas …
By Pam Muirheid, My Pawprint Productions