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The Problem

When approaching mobile responsive website development, It's probably best to start out with an understanding of the need. Mobile website development is an absolute must for any company wanting to maintain a usable online presence. Recent research by Morgan Stanley suggests that as early as 2014, Mobile browsing will make up a larger portion of the traffic than desktop users.

That being the case, it's clear that a solution for the current lackluster mobile web experiences must be found. There are three versions that have gained ground: mobile responsive website development, mobile website development, and native applications. Lets dive into some lists of pros and cons for each of these. 

Mobile Responsive Website Development

Pros

  • Content administration friendly
  • Resolution independent
  • Consistent look and feel across wide array of devices

Cons

  • Large development time
  • Can be design limiting
  • Not always the "fastest" for the user

Mobile Website Development (separate from main site)

Pros

  • Typically quick to develop (for 1 target device)
  • Offer a "snapshot" experience to your quick content
  • Device specific navigation

Cons

  • Content that is added to new site is often not reflected in the mobile version
  • User frustration if content they need isn't available.
  • Requires multiple versions for different platforms
  • Can be time intensive if you want to support multiple platforms

Native Application

Pros

  • Practically unlimited consumer experience
  • iphone app store & Andoid marketplace

Cons

  • App store & Android Mobile marketplaces have unforgiving reviewers
  • Small companies look even smaller when their app has 10 downloads
  • Fractured application development becomes costly

Native application development is both time consuming and device specific, requiring your development team to spend countless hours build redundant versions of your content. If you aren't wanting to go native application there are really only two competitors.

The quick take away for Mobile Responsive Web Development vs Mobile Website Development

Efficiency

So in the end it really comes down to efficiency, device support, and upfront cost. Mobile responsive website development can cost a bit more money up front, but offers almost wider device support. Mobile website design offers a specialized navigation on specific devices, is quicker and cheaper to develop, all at the cost of quick future changes. If you have a website that you know will only have traffic from one device type, then mobile website design is the way to go. If you want to change your web content regularly and guarantee the best experience across all platforms & resolutions, and are not against a larger initial investment, mobile responsive web design is the right choice.

So to wrap up

  • Static site with a device specific userbase: mobile website development
  • Regularly updated site with various users: mobile responsive website development