Mobile usage is growing exponentially, but is it growing among your users and audience?That’s the first question you should ask yourself before exploring whether you should create a mobile site or app.If you decide your subscription site needs a mobile presence, then you want to make sure that mobile presence integrates with your business goals and philosophy. Paid content sites basically have four options:

1. The “content everywhere” strategy — This strategy advocates for making your content available in as many ways as possible for convenience. In this strategy, mobile apps or mobile site access is usually bundled with a digital subscription. The Financial Times did this and saw a 30% increase in paid subscriptions. Alternatively, some sites, like The Columbia Journalism Review, have created a more premium digital package by charging more for mobile and tablet apps in addition to regular online access.
2. Mobile marketing — Sites like Fastcase use free mobile apps to attract new people to their site. In this case, an app is usually used for marketing — mobile sites are less effective here.
3. Separately-sold apps — Even free content sites like the Guardian are getting in on the mobile craze with paid subscription apps.
4. Retention — Creating a mobile-friendly site or new app is a great retention tool, as users often appreciate new online and digital tools, not just new content.

If you’re not sure about the difference between a mobile site and a mobile app, be sure to check out the in-depth how-to article on our sister site, Subscription Site Insider.And keep in mind that mobile conversion goals are going to be different than conversion goals on your desktop site. Usage noticeably peaks during the 5 -7 p.m. evening commute hours. That means that your mobile users may love reading your content while commuting to and from work, but it’s unlikely that he or she is going to whip out a credit card on a crowded subway car to complete your registration page.They may, however, convert later when at a desktop site. Therefore, the best conversion goal may be to have them “save to cart” or to let them send an email to themselves to remind them to sign-up later. You can get more conversion-friendly design tips, as well as discover four options for creating a mobile presence — from tweaking to building a custom site — at Subscription Site Insider.