Which one is better: mobile-first web design or responsive web design? The answer to this question is, as always, based on how well you know your target audience, how they access your website and what objectives you want from your website. How do they access your website; with mobile while they are on the move or desktop while sitting behind a desk? There is always a little confusion when it comes to which one to use. It’s not uncommon for people to mistakenly assume that these two designs in the same way but they are entirely different. 

How responsive design works is by scaling down maximum required resolution for desktops to the smallest screen possible. Even though the content and layout structure to fit smartphones, the navigation, content and download speeds are geared more for your traditional website. Mobile-first design is similar to designing a mobile ap and then adapting the layout that it can be viewed neatly on tablet and desktop services without too many modifications. Your whole design and layout are based on providing excellent mobile user-experience: fast download speeds, rich media content to keep your target audience interested, easy touchscreen navigation and so on. 

How responsive design works is by scaling down the maximum required resolution for desktops to fit on the mobiles. Even though the content and layout are structured to fit smartphone devices, the navigation, content and download speeds are geared more for your traditional website.  

Responsive web design is common among B2B companies where the website content is more authoritative and informative. As a Singapore website development company, we are mainly targeting other businesses, and we know that 80 of users are on a laptop or desktop and they are accessing our site during office hours. As such, responsive design is the best approach. 

Why should you bother designing a mobile-first web design? The stats show that users have become addicted to surfing on mobile sites. Zenith Media predicts there will be increase of up to 70% of mobile internet usage. With that said, it is essential to understand what mobile-first design and what its benefits are. Unlike responsive web design, mobile-first web design is about a complete mobile user experience. 

The decision is pretty simple to make. If a big of part of target audience is on desktop, for instance, a B2B company, we suggest that you a responsive web-design approach. If a big part of your target audience is on mobile, go mobile-first web design. Where can I get this information? Start tracking by using your Google Analytics. This will give you a big idea about how and when people are accessing your site.