Responsive Web Design OR Mobile Web Apps

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White Paper
Responsive Web Design Vis-a-Vis Mobile Web Apps-
What to Select
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Dramatic Facts
80
About 80 of internets users have Smartphones!
(Source gartner)
59
Mobile data traffic constitutes 59 in 2015!
(Source gartner)
60
Video streaming accounts for over 60 of mobile
data traffic in 2018 (Source gartner)
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Executive Summary
This whitepaper intend to deliver solution for
enterprises that are uncertain about what to
select responsive web design or mobile web apps
for their business!
This paper offers a comparative analysis of these
two approaches and also illustrates the pros
and cons of both the business models. It will
help enterprise to reach a conclusion, which
theory to embrace based on several factors
defined in this paper, and of course given the
business vertical needs!
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Responsive Web Design or Mobile Web Apps
?With uY?eleYtiYg eolutioY of swa?t phoYes,
f?e?ueYt introduction of updated mobile OS
versions, easy access to diverse mobile web apps
and high speed broadband connectivity has
immensely transformed the way consumers use thei?
haYdheld deiÐe today.?
Mobile devices and its usabilities have impacted
every segment of personal as well as professional
space. It is going to become the inseparable part
of every life and business. Its ubiquitousness
had encouraged businesses consider it as a
revolution and they have started shifting from
traditional business strategies to mobile
strategies for their businesses. Here comes the
real challenge for businesses Responsive Web
Design or Mobile Web Apps? What these approaches
are and how it works?
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Device Driven Strategy - Mobile Web Apps
?Till a fe? yea?s daÐk, ?heY deelope?s Ð?aft a
?edsite, it ?as la?gely desigYed ÐoYside?iYg
digge? screen laptops, desktops etc. in mind.
But with the evolving trend of handheld devices,
such development processes become difficult for
the users to comply with. When any such website
is opened in handheld device, view, navigation
and browsing becomes tough as it requires
adjustment, resizing and zooming in and
out. This is when many businesses started
thinking of creating something as cool as mobile
web apps that ?e?ui?es Yo adjustweYt aYd weaYt
dediÐatedly to d?o?se ?edsites th?ough wodile
deiÐes.? Having a mobile version of your
business can be a great idea! This is what most
businesses are lookiYg fo? ÐoYside?iYg the
ÐoYsuwe?s aailadility oYliYe ?idely th?ough
wodile deiÐes. It is a versions of your website
that can be accessed via mobile or tablet. The
major benefits that mobile version of website
offers is, it gives a completely optimized view
of your website in any of the handheld
devices. As mobile web app is the fusion of
versatility of web and features of touch-enabled
devices, it offers the most rewarding benefits of
a regular mobile, which runs well in diverse
browsers and deiÐes. At the sawe tiwe its
Ðowpatidle ?ith Yea?ly all swa?t phoYes thus
?eaÐhiYg ou? ?ide? spectrum of audience.
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All in One Responsive Web Design
?RespoYsie ?ed desigY has al?eady ?eaÐhed the
hea?t of ee?y dusiYess! It is a wethodology that
supports such a design and configuration of
website that can easily adjusts with any screen
size, orientation or OSs, be it big screen or
handheld devices. It adjusts with the different
screen sizes and ope?atiYg systews aYd still
p?oides a Ðlea? aYd optiwized ie? of the
?edsite.?
With the switching of devices, i.e. from PC to
iPhone, the website will automatically adjust
with the resolution and image sizes. There will
not be any need to resize, zoom in or out by the
users.
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Comparative Analysis of Mobile Web App Vs
Responsive Web Design
Principles Mobile App (MA) Responsive Web Design (RWD)
Access Speed Very fast Fast
App Store Available Not necessary
Approval Process Some are mandatory None
Content Versions Multiple URLs/versions for each page, i.e., content forking Same content regardless of device or platform
Development Cost Expensive to very expensive Moderate to reasonable
Features Phone features, location services, camera, etc... Limited phone features
Functionality Some functions may be omitted from the mobile application All functions of original site remain
Internet Connection Available offline Required
Monetization Easily monetized Not as easy to monetize
Optimized to mobile device Best Good
User Access After installation and some user configuration/interaction Through browser with little to no user configuration/interaction
Implementation Time Less Time Longer Development Cycle
Versions Two Separate Versions for mobile and website Single Version- website that can optimized across mobile devices
Design Approach Requires specialized knowledge Straightforward if you know your needs
User Experience Better user experience as build for mobile device Not as great user experience as mobile app as designed for website that can optimize across mobile devices
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Responsive Web Design Most Suitable Scenarios
Usually, responsive web design is ideal for
business having informational website, wherein
the information, which is in the right side of
the desktop app is shifted to bottom of the page
when browsed through mobile devices. News/Media
Websites Such websites require scrolling from
top to bottom. These are text heavy sites, which
require frequent updates and may become expensive
if separate mobile technology is used for design.
Responsive web design works well for quick access
and easy update.
Blogs/Corporate Website Brand consistency is
important for such sites and the website that
works well on desktop and mobile devices
maintaining the consistency of brand becomes easy.
Location Driven Solutions Direction finder
solutions are mostly image heavy. In such
websites viewing routes and locations closely by
zooming and adjusting the screen using fingers is
necessary, which is easily possible by responsive
web design.
If you fall within above business types,
responsive web design is the solution!
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Limitations of Responsive Web Design
Like any other technology, responsive web design
also has its own limitations that often push
businesses to mobile web apps!
User Experience is Mediocre Compare to Mobile Web
Apps Responsive web design can optimize the user
experience but as it has to account for several
devices it cannot offer the quality of experience
that mobile device can offer. Responsive design
would require more time and effort to provide the
improved user-experience.
Comprehensive Development Cycle Designing a
responsive website design takes longer time and
effort than building simple web pages.
Redesigning any website to make it responsive
adds to the complexity. Building responsive web
pages require lot of factors to consider like
prioritizing content and images to avoid missing
any vital text. All these complexities make
responsive website less compelling!
If the above factors - rich user experience,
horizontal navigation and faster development time
are your priority, you need to embrace Mobile Web
App approach.
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Mobile Web Apps The Right Scenario
High quality user experience is the priority for
consumers, at which a mobile web app is the
bests. Easy to navigate, seamless transaction are
the core to any mobile web app. Following are the
priorities that can push any business to embrace
mobile web apps Accurate Layout, Content and
User Preference The mobile web experience is
different from big screen experience. For
businesses where quality user experience is most
crucial, an individual layout can make the entire
difference. It mostly involve left to right
scrolls to view the catalogue with right content
in place. It is easily possible in a mobile web
application.
Iterative Deployment of Mobile Service Mobile
services must be built on user experience and
preferences to offer optimal user experience. The
design and deployment should be in an iterative
manner to reach perfection and frequent changes.
This type of deployment is preferably done in
mobile service.
Considering above facts, Mobile Web Apps are the
right approach!
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Selecting the Right Solution
Responsive web design is the buzz word with a
vision to offer optimal view across multiple
devices but can it meet the emerging challenges
of mobile world? It depends what you want to
achieve from your website and online
business! Single code base, easy maintenance and
single website with improved SEO are the
offerings that responsive web design brings in
whereas improved user experience, low performance
risk and faster implementation are the qualities
mobile web apps ushers in. Tho?ough plaYYiYg aYd
dest uYde?staYdiYg of the use?s p?efe?eYÐes is
the key that ÐaY help you decide the desired
approach to embrace, when it comes to selecting
the right design model to build your website. If
you want to give your customers greater user
experience, better performance, faster deployweYt
aYd fla?less t?aYsaÐtioY wodile ?ed app is the
aYs?e?. If you?e happy ?ith the solutions that
is easy to maintain, features within your control
than responsive web design is the solution for
you.
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