There are three main ways to adjust your site for mobile devices: responsive design, a separate mobile website, or dynamic serving. An alternative option would be to develop your own app.
- Responsive web design: the basic idea of responsive web design is the creation of a website that automatically adjusts all its content and elements (i.e. images, videos, navigation) to fit the size of the display. This is achieved through HTML code, which optimizes the site for the device used. Responsive web design can be implemented quickly and easily, and since it’s recommended by Google, it benefits the mobile website in terms of SEO.
- Dynamic serving: with dynamic serving, the HTML code changes depending on the user identification of the device. For example, the source code of a mobile site on a tablet is different to that of a smartphone. The URL remains the same and the server provides the HTML code depending on the device type.
- Separate mobile website: it’s also possible to build a separate mobile site, which is a mirror image of the desktop page. Though modelled on the desktop site, it’s an independent entity with a different URL and HTML code.
Developing an app: app indexing and store optimization
Due to the ever-increasing popularity of apps, many businesses offer their customers an app in addition to their website. This should provide added value in the form of improved user experience and useful functions. Whether the solution is a native app, a web app, a responsive design, or a mobile website, you should assess each individual case. Important for mobile SEO: even with apps, discoverability plays a role, although this applies more in the app store than with search engines. To generate a larger customer base, it’s essential to make the app accessible and easy to find.