The continuous evolution of smart phones, regular release of newer mobile OS versions, availability of a huge variety of mobile applications from different app stores and high speed internet connections have completely transformed the way consumers use their mobile devices. According to mobile industry reports, 7.12% of all website traffic worldwide came from handheld devices in 2011. In 2012, that figure rose to 11.78%.1 According to eMarketer (a leading digital media market research firm), more than 58% of American adults will be regular mobile web users by the end of 2016. Tablets and smartphones are becoming the default choice for connecting to the internet. The web has become an essential part of our lives, and users are connected to their internet devices from anywhere and all the time. This revolution is influencing many companies to shift towards a “Mobile First, Desktop Second” strategy for their business. However, the shift from desktop to mobile requires web designers to refocus - not completely away from desktop design, but certainly with an inclination towards mobile. There are several ways to approach a mobile web presence, such as implementing a separate mobile site or a mobile web app. The most recent and popular approach seems to be Responsive Web Design. This paper explains the difference between Mobile Web App and Responsive Web Design, and provides a framework for resolving some of the key questions decision makers have. These include what factors to consider when choosing between Responsive Web Design and Mobile Web App, and what type of industry Responsive Web Design is most suitable for. The paper examines the pros and cons of each approach, and presents a sample scenario from the retail industry as well as a case study. As the paper guides you in how to make the right choice, it draws upon RapidValue’s experience helping enterprises succeed in the complex and evolving mobile ecosystem by RapidValue.

1. Responsive Web Design
vs.
Mobile Web App:
What’s Best for Your Enterprise?
A Whitepaper by RapidValue Solutions

2. A Whitepaper by RapidValue Solutions
The continuous evolution of
smart phones, regular
release of newer mobile OS
versions, availability of a
huge variety of mobile
applications from different
app stores and high speed
internet connections have
completely transformed the
way consumers use their
mobile devices.
The New Design Trend: Build a Website; Enable
Self-optimization Across All Mobile Devices
According to report by Cisco, global mobile devices and
connections in 2014 grew to 7.4 billion, up from 6.9 billion
in 2013. The vast majority of mobile data traffic
(97%) will originate from the smart devices.By 2019,
there will be 8.2 billion handheld or personal mobile-ready
devices.And the global mobile data traffic will increase
nearly tenfold between 2014 and 2019.1
This revolution is influencing many companies to shift
towards a “Mobile First, Desktop Second” strategy for
their business. However, the shift from desktop to mobile
requires web designers to refocus - not completely away
from desktop design, but certainly with an inclination
towards mobile.
There are several ways to approach a mobile web
presence, such as implementing a separate mobile site or
a mobile web app. The most recent and popular approach
seems to be Responsive Web Design.
This paper explains the difference between Mobile Web
App and Responsive Web Design, and provides a frame-
work for resolving some of the key questions decision
makers have. These include what factors to consider when
choosing between Responsive Web Design and Mobile
Web App, and what type of industry Responsive Web
Design is most suitable for. The paper examines the pros
and cons of each approach, and presents a sample sce-
nario from the retail industry as well as a case study. As
the paper guides you in how to make the right choice, it
draws upon RapidValue’s experience helping
enterprises succeed in the complex and evolving mobile
ecosystem.
020202
1
Published by Cisco VNI: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update 2014–2019 White Paper

3. Device-Specific Approach: Mobile Web App
The most common option for companies looking for a
mobile version of their website is to build a mobile site.
This is a separate version of your website that users are
redirected to when they access your website via a mobile
phone or tablet. The main benefit of implementing a
mobile version of a website is that it provides an opti-
mized view across mobiles and tablets.
And what is Mobile Web App? This is an increasingly
popular type of mobile development in which the applica-
tion is built to run over the internet from a central server,
from where it can be accessed by any device with a web
browser. The web technologies used to develop the app
are HTML5, Sencha, jQuery and others. The underlying
technologies are JavaScript, HTML and CSS.
A mobile web app combines the versatility of the web with
the functionality of touch-enabled devices. Therefore the
application provides the benefits of a regular mobile site,
i.e. it works across browsers and a wide range of devices.
It also provides some of the features supported by native
apps — rich look and feel, offline browsing, location based
services and video capabilities.
Since mobile web app is web-based, they are compatible
with most key smart phones, making it easy to deliver
your content to a large mobile audience.
When a developer creates a
website, they often design
for large screens and lose
sight of how it will look when
a user browses the same
website from their mobile
device. When users click
links within the site via their
mobile phones, reading and
navigating become difficult,
requiring zooming and
resizing to read or click. This
is when you need to think
developing a device-specific
site.
Java Script
A Whitepaper by RapidValue Solutions 020202A Whitepaper by RapidValue Solutions 020203

4. One Size Fits All: Responsive Web Design
From a technology standpoint, the framework consists of
a combination of flexible grids, flexible layouts, images
and intelligent use of CSS media queries. As the user
switches from one device to another (for example,
desktop to iPhone), the website automatically adapts to
accommodate for resolution, image size and scripting
abilities. This eliminates the need for resizing, panning
and scrolling by the user in order to view the website on
the new device.
The following figure illustrates a retail website
implemented using Responsive Web Design. You can see
the rearrangement of images and text when the user
browses the site from their desktop and then from their
mobile device.
In simple terms, Responsive
Web Design is the
methodology that
recommends the design and
implementation of a website
that responds to user
behavior and environment
based on the screen size,
orientation and operating
system of their device.
A Whitepaper by RapidValue Solutions 020204

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Responsive Web Design: When Is It Most Appropriate?
Typically, Responsive Web Design is suitable for informational web pages, with information on the right
side of the screen in desktop applications brought to the bottom of the page in mobile applications.
Here are three main scenarios where Responsive Web Design would be
most applicable:
1. Corporate Websites/Blog Sites
The website first and mobile second is usually the busi-
ness need. For corporate websites, the need for rich
images is lesser, device-agnostic solutions is higher, and
target audience is a huge factor. And for blog sites, exten-
sive user input is not required and images required are
minimal.
For these types of sites, brand consistency is primary.
With one website that works on both desktop and mobile
screens, you will find it much easier to keep a consistent
brand identity. Also, no style guides are required to com-
municate between multiple vendors such as different
entities responsible for the desktop and mobile versions of
your site.
– Single code base – build once, run across all devices
– Renders across any screen size – one can view the internet on 20″ monitors, 15″ laptops, 10″
netbooks, 7″ tablets, 3″ smartphones and every size between. It also considers the huge
difference in widths and heights, whether the screen is landscape or portrait, and screen
resolution.
– Improves SEO – a single version of the website improves page ranking. Issues have arisen in
which having two versions of a site (website and mobile site) impact page ranking.
– Reduces maintenance cost and effort due to single link.
– Provides control and flexibility – changes can be made at one centralized place. You do not
need to contact multiple vendors to make changes when your mobile site/ mobile application
is built by different development companies.
Some of the advantages of using Responsive Web Design are:
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6. 0202020206
In previous sections, we discussed what Responsive Web
Design is and what kind of websites it is most suitable for. But
like any other technology option, this design approach has its
drawbacks. The top three are described below.
2. Media/News Sites
In these types of sites, users are more accustomed to
scrolling from top to bottom using their mobile.
Responsive Web Design works well here. These sites are
more text-heavy, and sections such as breaking news
require real-time content updates which add to mainte-
nance cost if different mobile technology options are used
for the design.
3. Location-based Services
Maps and direction finder services are generally image
heavy. In these types of services, to view the routes
closely and to get better clarity zooming and re-sizing the
screen with fingers become necessary. Auto-adjustment
becomes essential, which is supported in Responsive Web
Design.
Key Challenges in Responsive Web Design
A Whitepaper by RapidValue Solutions 020206

7. 1. User experience not as rich as Mobile Web App
While Responsive Web Design does optimize the user experience across devices, it does not provide a
user experience as rich as the Mobile Web App approach. Responsive Web Design uses a single code
base, but in reality different devices have to be accounted for. While a desktop version can display a lot
of content at once, for smaller screens you need to know exactly what content truly matters. To create
a great experience for all users, you need to consider that people will use different devices in different
circumstances and with different goals. With Responsive Web Design, more effort and time will be
involved to get the right user experience for your target audience.
2. Navigation enabled from top to bottom, not left to right
Typically, Responsive Web Design supports top to bottom navigation. Content is pushed from top to
bottom when users switch from their desktop to mobile device to access the website. This approach is
useful for informational sites such as corporate sites, blog sites and news sites. However, for many
other industries such as sports, entertainment and retail, mobile users (especially those with touch
screen devices) are comfortable scrolling from left to right, especially when viewing pictures in a carou-
sel photo and video gallery. Left to right navigation is supported by Responsive Web Design but
requires some customization in the layout and code, which again leads to more time and effort.
3. Longer development cycle
Designing a website using Responsive Web Design takes longer than building a normal website (a
dynamically generated web page which recalls various bits of information from a database and puts
them together in a pre-defined format to present the reader with a coherent page). If the website is
already built using the normal website approach, rebuilding it using Responsive Web Design in order to
optimize across mobile devices will further add to the complexity.
In addition, prioritizing the content in Responsive Web Design is essential. This is to ensure that import-
ant content is not missed when the user switches from a laptop or desktop to a mobile device.
Placement of the navigation menus plays an important role too, especially on more complex desktop
websites with multilayer drop-down menus that have to be adapted for smaller screens. Once a hierar-
chy becomes too complex or different than what you want mobile users to see, the argument for
Responsive Web becomes less compelling.
Based on the above factors, if a rich user experience, left to right navigation and faster
implementation time are your primary requirements, you should consider the Mobile Web
App approach.
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Versions
Development
Cost
Medium
Responsive Web DesignCriteria Mobile Web App
Two separate versions – build one for
website and another for mobile
Single version – build the website and
optimize across mobile devices
Higher. Cost increases with increase in
number of elements in the website
Implementation
Time
Longer development cycle. Development
complexity increases as the website map
gets more complex
Less time if you know the exact features
you need and you have planned your
roadmap well
– Slightly lower user experience since
the app is designed for a website and
optimized across mobile devices
– Navigation enabled from top to
bottom by default. Left to right
navigation requires additional
customization and modification in
layout and code
– Lower maintenance cost and effort
– Single version to maintain for the
website and across a wide range of
mobile devices
– Provides control and flexibility to
make changes in website, which are
reflected across all mobile devices
– Medium
– Separate for website version and
mobile web app version
– Requires changes to be made
separately in website and mobile web
app versions
– Better user experience, specifically
designed for mobile phone and
improving further with HTML5
technology
– Left to right navigation enabled to
support carousel navigation
Design Approach
User Experience
Performance
Ongoing
Maintenance
Requires specialized knowledge of this
new approach
Potential bandwidth issues when server
sends larger media than needed and
text-heavy images
Better, more streamlined performance
Straightforward if you know the exact
features and functionality you need in
your mobile solution
Comparison Summary
Due to differences in underlying technology, each approach has inherent advantages and drawbacks,
development frameworks, and appropriate use cases. Careful analysis is required to ensure that your
mobile solution is built using the right approach to meet your requirements. The following table
summarizes the strengths and weakness of each approach.
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9. 02020202
Rinish Nalini,
Chief Technology Officer, RapidValue Solutions
Responsive Web Design is a great way to give an enterprise a
mobile presence. But it shouldn’t be considered the only mobile
approach. Before making a decision, an enterprise should evaluate
both options — Responsive Web Design and Mobile Web App, and
select the technology option which best suits your business
requirements.”
“
How to Choose the Right Option for Your
Business — Retail Industry Example
A high quality user experience has always been the primary requirement for consumers, a fact that
mobile service providers now recognize. The mobile service should be simple to use, easy to navigate
and provide seamless transactions, especially when it comes to online shopping.
Retailers can choose either design approach to build a mobile service for their consumer. Your business
requirements will determine the right technology option.
Here is one scenario: you are a retailer and you already have a website. You now need a mobile solu-
tion which has an attractive user interface, can be launched in 6-8 weeks and is cost effective. Before
making a decision, you need to consider a few additional parameters which are important for your retail
mobile service:
The right content must be provided to your
target audience. In order to retain existing
customers and reach a larger audience,
capturing user preferences and providing
content, features and capabilities based on
their requirements should matter the most.
Desktop Website Version with Filters on a Single Page
1. Right Content, Layout and
User Preferences
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The mobile web experience is different from the desktop experi-
ence. For retailers, where quality of experience is critical, a sepa-
rate layout and experience for the mobile web is strongly recom-
mended. This is because:
Both of these capabilities are supported in Responsive Web
Design as well as Mobile Web App, but enabling them using the
Responsive Web approach takes more work.
– Retail consumers with mobile devices are usually accus-
tomed to scrolling from left to right for viewing the prod-
uct catalog (especially phones with touch screens)
– In a desktop website, multiple filters may be present on a
single page, but in mobile web, due to lack of real estate,
these filters are placed on different pages, accessed
sequentially and hence the same structure may not work
Tablet/Mobile Web Version with Filters Segregated on Different Pages
2. Build and Deploy Mobile Service in an Iterative Fashion
To really be responsive in your design, you as a retailer should build web services/apps based on user
feedback, as this will help create a more optimal user experience over time. Design and development
should be combined in an iterative manner to allow retailers to take full advantage of the mobile chan-
nel. Retailers should start with minimal but relevant features in their service/application for their con-
sumers, get their feedback, and respond to that feedback and evolve the service/application over time.
Therefore a long-term service roadmap is essential before you start building your mobile service.
Considering all the above factors, for this type of scenario the Mobile Web App approach
will work best.
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Case Study: Mobile Web-Based mCommerce Solution
RapidValue launched a Mobile web-based mCommerce solution for the world's largest online retailer of
street-wear. The solution allows consumers to shop online using their mobile devices.
The client wanted to add a new mobile channel for their consumers. To meet client requirements
RapidValue had to identify the optimum solution (Responsive Web Design vs. Mobile Web App).
The main requirements were a cost effective solution, fast implementation time, ongoing maintenance
and support, and a high-quality user experience.
The client already had an existing website as well as Android and iPhone native applications.
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For this client, it was important to select the Mobile Web option instead of Responsive Web Design, for
the following reasons:
RapidValue designed the complete user interface, built the mobile service and deployed the solution, all
within 3½ months.
– To reach the largest number of consumers while providing service across multiple device types
– Native apps are not SEO-friendly
– Converting the existing website to Responsive Web would take more time and effort
Conclusion
Responsive Web Design is an emerging trend that involves designing websites and applications for
optimal viewing across multiple devices and screen sizes using a single code base. But will it meet web
application challenges in today's mobile world? The answer depends on what you are trying to achieve
with your website or mobile app.
The advantages of Responsive Web Design include a single code base that provides easy and low
maintenance along with a single version of the website that improves SEO. Mobile Web App provides a
better user experience, lower risk of performance issues and faster implementation time for your
mobile service if you know your exact requirements.
The design of your website and mobile service should be based on your target audience. Building a site
using either approach requires thorough planning and a good understanding of the user’s roadmap
through the site on every type of device.
Therefore, if you want a solution that’s easy to maintain, makes use of existing skills and that you can
control, then Responsive Web Design is the approach for you. If you want a high quality user
experience, better performance, faster implementation and seamless transactions, then you should
select Mobile Web App for your business.
A Whitepaper by RapidValue Solutions 020212

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hereby notified that the use, circulation, quoting, or reproducing of this report is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.
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