• by Katie Petrillo , April 19, 2013

As marketers, we want to make sure moms can access our products and services when and where they want — from whatever device they want. A recent study found that tablets are the device of choice, with 22% of moms owning a tablet compared to just 16% of the general population. 

A key component of any brand’s tablet strategy is the technical solution for how your customers interact with your brand on their device. Even though the solution will require engineering expertise, it is our responsibility as marketers to understand the opportunities, evaluate the best option, and present a recommendation. 

Here are three options that will make your brand accessible to moms on tablets: 

1. Implement Responsive Web Design (RWD)

Responsive web design automatically reconfigures your website to the size and specs of a browser regardless of the device being used. This ensures an easy, customized experience as well as consistent brand recognition for moms who visit your site from multiple channels. 

Pros

• Creates a consistent user experience between devices
• Single URL improves SEO so you don’t lose customers through redirects  
• Traffic analytics are easily tracked 
• Fluid nature of RWD effortlessly adapts your site for new devices and screen sizes without development work 

Cons

• Complex to develop (especially if your site has a lot of content and navigation) which requires more time and resources
• Involves testing on as many devices as possible

This option is for you if… your brand has time, money, and personnel to invest in a long-term solution for tablets. 

2. Develop a Tablet App

Do your customers have a singular purpose when they access your brand from their tablet? If so, consider developing an app dedicated to that purpose. Note that a tablet app offers more real estate to create an improved or slightly different experience over a mobile app.

Pros

• Builds a tablet presence for your brand
• Is an extension of your brand experience 
• Can generate additional revenue through download fees or paid advertising

Cons

• Costly and time-consuming to develop
• Can be difficult to encourage customers to download 
• No SEO benefits because it lives in an app store

This option is for you if…  you have a specific use case in which customers will get added value by accessing your products and services from a tablet.  

3. Build a Separate Site for Mobile

A mobile-specific site includes all or some of your core website’s content, depending on how your audience interacts with your site from a tablet versus from a laptop. Some mobile sites are indicated with a unique URL, such as m.domain.com. 

Pros

• Quicker load times than responsive design sites 
• Easier to navigate because it’s designed specifically for smaller screens

Cons

• Separate URLs for mobile and desktop sites, which means redirecting users between sites and the mobile URL does not contribute to your SEO
• Changes must be made individually to each site

This option is for you if… your brand simply can’t budget time and resources for responsive design or an app right now, and you can identify specific areas of your site that customers access from tablets. 

As more moms bring tablets into their households, marketers will need to adapt to the use of a “second screen.” Responsive design, dedicated tablet apps, and mobile-optimized sites can be implemented to help your brand give moms the positive experience they seek on these popular devices. Dig deeper into the behaviors of moms on tablets to evaluate opportunities for your brand, including pricing models, advertising, and what moms expect from brands when it comes to tablets.