As a result of changes to the way Google reports mobile-friendly sites to mobile devices, our responsive design adaption offer has been going along very well. Most sites present standard content pages which Google will index, and that is fine.
Lately, we had a request to adapt a series of related sites which make extensive use of secure login areas. Such secure pages are not indexed by Google; if they do not need to be accountable to the new indexing regime, perhaps the cost of making their templates responsive (and more the point, their content) is avoidable. The cost, even in time alone, of making page by page adjustments to content which was never added with responsive design in mind, can be formidable.
In such a case, we would consider the mobile template alternative, which was regularly used before responsive became the method of choice. A sub-site is created by use of a folder beneath the main site folder, and device detection script is added to the site admin. This script recognizes that a browsing device is mobile and directs the browser to the sub-folder and its appropriate content.
Selective inclusion of fewer pages and suitable content can be considered, thereby avoiding the need for code to hide content which does not respond well.
If you have an older website that you are considering updating for mobile, contact us at info@voloper.com to discuss your options.