{"id":9912,"date":"2015-11-16T22:24:47","date_gmt":"2015-11-16T22:24:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/proxystudio.uxpin.com\/?p=9912"},"modified":"2024-09-09T19:38:29","modified_gmt":"2024-09-10T02:38:29","slug":"m-dot-sites-are-dying-long-live-responsive-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uxpin.com\/studio\/blog\/m-dot-sites-are-dying-long-live-responsive-design\/","title":{"rendered":"M-Dot Sites Are Dying Long Live Responsive Design | UXPin"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s official: the internet lives on mobile<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With mobile browsers overtaking desktop, a mobile-friendly site is no longer just a \u201cnice to have\u201d. This requires a shift in the web design process that M-dot sites just can\u2019t sustain in the long term.<\/p>\n

\"Illustration<\/p>\n

Source: \u201cBoston Globe responsive website, featuring Apple Newton<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0Antoine Lefeuvre. Creative Commons<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

In this article we\u2019ll explain why M-dot sites aren\u2019t future-proof, and why responsive design is the responsible way to build mobile-friendly websites.<\/p>\n

The Vulnerability of M-Dot Sites<\/h2>\n

Back when mobile browsing was new, M-dot sites made a lot of sense. Their faults could have been chalked up to inexperience \u2014 designers were scrambling to keep up with users before the mass proliferation of mobile devices.<\/p>\n

Now, some years later, mobile devices became more complex, thanks to tablets and varying screen sizes.<\/p>\n

So what exactly is mobile? Smartphone, tablet\u2026 watch, glasses? Even limiting it only to smartphones, what size screen? The diversity of mobile devices has grown exponentially since M-dot sites were first used.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just our speculation, either. Pure Oxygen Labs reports<\/a> that last year M-dot sites fell 20%, from 79% in 2013 to 59% in 2014, while responsive and adaptive<\/a> (dynamic serving) sites rose 37% collectively. Of course, some stalwarts remain (like Facebook and Zappos, who maintain a M-dot site mostly for site load advantages), but it\u2019s fairly safe to say that M-dot sites are generally dying out.<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot<\/p>\n

Photo Credit: Zappos<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s explore some of the reasons to abandon M-dot sites:<\/p>\n