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Comment by mfsch | Hacker News Reader

I would say though that responsive design is less of an issue for these sites as they are popular enough that people are willing to use them through an app. The app has a mobile optimized design and can offer functions that a responsive website cannot offer.

For less popular sites and sites with different usage patterns, people might not be willing to install an app and app development might be too expensive. In these cases, responsive design is an option to provide a smooth mobile experience without too much extra work.

Of course, this doesn’t change the point that you should evaluate the need for responsive design without bias, but comparing your site with popular websites might not give you the full answer.

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If I had to state my tendency to have an objection to responsive design in one sentence it would be this:

Responsive design will not bring you one additional customer when compared to fixed design.

The geometric problem of A/B testing a responsive site makes it a loosing proposition in my book. If you applied half that effort to A/B testing a fixed layout site you run chance of improving conversions dramatically over time. The same optimization problem is at least N times harder with fluid design and, more than likely N2.

In short, from a financial perspective, not worth it.

> Responsive design will not bring you one additional customer when compared to fixed design.

This is simply untrue. Even exposure is a form of commerce, and if you can't sell your content, you're out of luck. If there are no other external reasons for the user to be there, she will close the tab and move on to more legible things.

I always end-up pointing at Craigslist. Yes, I agree, really nice design is a pleasure to use. No argument there whatsoever. But, there's a limit.

People don't visit websites to be in awe of the design. They visit to get something out of them. Craigslist has more than proven that what most of us would consider absolute-shit design works just fine if what you are selling is what visitors want. You won't find me dead doing a CL-type site, but it does have the power to ground you when thinking of grandiose animations and all manner of neat-but-pointless design flights-of-fancy.

We can agree to disagree. For me, first is content or product, second is usable fixed design that converts well (through A/B testing) and a distant last is investing time, money and efforts into responsive design. I just don't see how it can possibly improve profitability.

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