Be responsive, or get a mobile site

[Tricky1]

Been noticing this over the last six months or so, seems to come and go..

When searching on my phone using Google it highlights the sites that are mobile friendly. It started with the little mobile icon, then went away, and now today back with just the words 'mobile-friendly'.. Anybody else seeing this ?

Only chose to demo the Payday loan search based on its competition and site owners being switched on, not something I'm involved in before we start debating the ethics etc.

 

[Retired_member41]

Yes it's all over seeps now. We had s mobile icon like the above but now says mobile friendly.

Only shows it when using a mobile obviously.

 

[redbird]

some more info here....http://searchengineland.com/google-officially-launches-mobile-friendly-labels-mobile-search-results-208949 and a Test tool

 

[Retired_Member42]

I can imagine web designers are going to make a killing now by over charging their clients who want to convert to a responsive design.

 

[denchomsky]

I read having a mobile friendly site is going to affect SERPS as well.

I can imagine web designers are going to make a killing now by over charging their clients who want to convert to a responsive design.

Well if you are serious about your website or online presence you should do it anyway regardless of this news, as about 50% of users access websites on smartphones or tablets and this number will continue to grow.

And how would you define over-charging?....

 

[Aegean]

Well if you are serious about your website or online presence you should do it anyway regardless of this news, as about 50% of users access websites on smartphones or tablets and this number will continue to grow.

Thats absolutely correct.

 

[Retired_Member42]

And how would you define over-charging?....

verb (used with object), overcharged, overcharging.
1.
to charge (a purchaser) too high a price:

 

[mat]

I have mixed feelings when it comes to responsive/mobile design.

There are so many sites, even from major companies that as soon as you land on their mobile site you are desperately looking for the "full site" link in the footer.

Sometimes you just can’t find what you need quick enough, the search functions are more limited etc etc.

When done right it can be a dream.

I have seen web development companies upsell a responsive site because of the hype and amount of visitors using mobile, only to find that even with a fantastic responsive design in place the orders/leads stay the same or drop to lower than they were previously

 

[scottmccloud]

It might be just me but I'm sure there are some sites that when you access them on a mobile you don't get the full site, you get like a 'best of', and you're scrabbling around trying to find the full site link. I always thought the whole point of a mobile responsive site was you get the whole site made easier to access on a mobile, not just some of it.

I wish I could think of an example!

 

[denchomsky]

verb (used with object), overcharged, overcharging.
1.
to charge (a purchaser) too high a price:

That's a dictionary definition, not yours.

Your statement insinuates that all web designers are unscrupulous crooks out to rip off clients at every possibility.
Have you been ripped off by a web designer, is this why your view is tainted?
Are you a web designer that rips people off?

 

[Retired_Member42]

That's a dictionary definition, not yours.

That's true, but my definition is the same.

 

[mat]

It might be just me but I'm sure there are some sites that when you access them on a mobile you don't get the full site, you get like a 'best of', and you're scrabbling around trying to find the full site link. I always thought the whole point of a mobile responsive site was you get the whole site made easier to access on a mobile, not just some of it.

I wish I could think of an example!

I hate using the ebay mobile site.

 

[mat]

Also the Eurostar mobile site is very frustrating as when you go in via the search engine it redirects you to the home page! Hate mobile sites that do that.

 

[denchomsky]

That's true, but my definition is the same.

Maybe you can look up 'Justification' now, it might help you next time you make sweeping statements.

 

[Retired_Member42]

Maybe you can look up 'Justification' now, it might help you next time you make sweeping statements.

I'm not sure how they justify it to be honest. To me it's nothing more than daylight robbery. It's one of those smoke and mirror add ons that designers/developers tend to charge the earth for when in reality, stacking design elements is nothing more than a few simple code changes here and there.

You have web design clients right? What will you be charging for mobile conversion?

 

[mat]

One of my clients was quoted £6-7k for making their site responsive. The same site built by the web development company! An absolute joke. I Got it done for around the £600 mark for them.

 

[StudioVision]

I haven't built a non-responsive site since about 2010!

 

[devilsrefugee]

Imo anybody responsible for doing a website for a customer should do it as responsive as standard.

You wouldnt code in tables but charge more for css layout and responsive is no different imo.

 

[Retired_Member42]

Imo anybody responsible for doing a website for a customer should do it as responsive as standard.

You wouldnt code in tables but charge more for css layout and responsive is no different imo.

I agree with this 100%. It drives me insane when a designer bolts on a cost to make something responsive, especially if it's a new design. I find it easier / quicker to code a design with bootstrap and have it automatically stack than writing everything from scratch. It's a borderline scam trying to fleece people who don't know any different.

I was spammed with SSL certificate offers from 4 or 5 web hosting companies when Google announced they were favouring secure sites. I'm wondering how many designers are now spamming their clients offering mobile versions of their designs? I'm also wondering if some designers purposely make designs unscalable or at difficult to work on so they can land future business.

 

[philiporchard]

I have mixed feelings when it comes to responsive/mobile design.

There are so many sites, even from major companies that as soon as you land on their mobile site you are desperately looking for the "full site" link in the footer.

Sometimes you just can’t find what you need quick enough, the search functions are more limited etc etc.

When done right it can be a dream.

I have seen web development companies upsell a responsive site because of the hype and amount of visitors using mobile, only to find that even with a fantastic responsive design in place the orders/leads stay the same or drop to lower than they were previously

Interestingly, I was at G workshop a couple of weeks back and they mentioned that you should not call the link 'Full site' as it gives the impression they are viewing a sub quality version. I think they said you should call it 'Desktop version' or something along those lines.