Two Parallel Sites - One Conventional, One Mobile?

Mobile
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I’ve been designing websites for years, but I spend 95% of my time on research and writing, with little time to really keep up with the latest web design trends. I recently stopped to come up for a breath of air and check out the latest trends, and I’m WAY behind. I need to convert all my PHP database queries to PDO, then convert all my web pages to HTML5. Then I need to begin modifying them to work with mobile devices, and the research I’ve done so far blows me away. This might be more than I can handle.

With that in mind, I was thinking of sticking to conventional web pages (though I might still convert them to HTML5), and make a parallel website(s) featuring the same content designed for mobile devices. I could use some kind of device detection script to advise mobile device users that they can read the same article on a better (mobile) platform by clicking a link. That way I can learn how to develop for mobile sites without messing up my existing pages.

Though it’s probably considered amateurish, it seems like a workable scheme. Does anyone have any comments regarding the pros and cons? Also, can you refer me to some good examples of sites that use such a scheme?

I would really like to hire a web designer to convert my sites to mobile, but I can’t afford it right now.

Thanks.

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Unless your site is in Flash or something, you’ll find your site already is in HTML5, as it’s not different from HTML … except a simpler doctype. HTML5 provides some new elemenets, of course, but you don’t have to use them, and they aren’t supported in all browsers anyway.

I was thinking of sticking to conventional web pages … and make a parallel website(s) featuring the same content designed for mobile devices. I could use some kind of device detection script …

Unless you have a giant and unwieldy site, having two sites, and using device detection, isn’t a good option. Device detection is unreliable and you are forever chasing your tail to keep track of the myriad devices out there.

Instead, have a look at “responsive web design”, a nice alternative that allows the layout to adapt appropriately for different screen sizes.

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OK, I’ll check that out. Thanks.