Have you ever viewed a website on your home computer and then wondered why it looks different on your mobile phone or tablet? If so, you are not alone. There are many people who still do not understand that there is a difference between a traditional, mobile and a responsive website. Urban Geko is here to explain some of the key differences between these three types of websites.
Traditional website
Up until recently, a traditional website has been the most common type of website. It is what has been around the longest and what many people habitually think of when they think “website”. A traditional website is typically built with a horizontal layout and allows for extensive content, features and/or pages. A traditional website is best suited for users that use a laptop or desktop computer for most of their browsing. This type is site is NOT built for mobile devices and therefore users will most likely notice a difference with the functionality and layout when viewing a traditional site on a mobile device.
Mobile website
A mobile website is usually built in addition to a traditional website and is built specifically for mobile devices only. More often than not, is a condensed version of the main/traditional website and does not include all of the same pages and/or features as the traditional site. The design of a mobile site will look different from the main site as it is built with a vertical layout (information is stacked) to accommodate the mobile design. A mobile website will show automatically if a user is trying to access a website on a mobile phone.
Mobile Responsive website
As the newest web design approach, mobile responsive website is your all-in-one one website that is built to provide an optimal viewing experience for users (works with both traditional computers and tablets as well as mobile devices). A responsive website responds to different screen sizes and thus the content will fluidly change to fit any device, making it the most popular choice for new websites. The look and feel will stay consistent with a responsive site no matter what device you are viewing from. See more from our portfolio here.
Deciding which type of website is right for you comes down to a few factors. These factors include budget, features you are looking for, timeline and who your target audience is. Today however, the majority of online viewers are using mobile devices to view your website.
