The first go to name (apart from Google Maps) is Yellow pages, or yell.com. Their mobile site appears to serve all mobile phones, naturally, serving the broadest range of people. Yet they also have a mobile app for the iPhone (on the right).
YELL HOME PAGE
Firstly the mobile site features little to no styling as it will need to function across the broad range of mobile devices, all of which replicate (or not) styles in their own way, therefore there isn't much point focusing a lot of effort into this.
Due to this, the site isn't optimised for a touch screen and so the links at the bottom of the page, although useful, and helpful, are too close together and would likely result in incorrect taps.
The search boxes help in some way by giving examples to guide the entries they require.
Meanwhile the app presents the contents in a more aligned form. The input boxes are further spaced apart to aid taps and feature predictive search results. For example, start typing "ho...." and it will bring up suggestive results. This limits the amount of error you can get from typing. Dividers section the horizontal links at the bottom of the page again aiding somewhat the ease of hitting the link you desire. The search button is also positioned in the centre, meaning both left and right handed people can reach it with ease.
Furthermore, making use of the iPhone's GPS function, rather than typing in a location, you can use the pinpoint icon on the right hand side and it will auto fill your location!
SEARCH RESULTS
You get a substantial amount of results from your search. The app is better here by providing a set area for each result and making that in its entirety a link to further information. They also offer a 'home' button and 'search' meaning the user can navigate with less difficulty. The text is easier to read due to being in one colour, and just the phone number highlighted in blue, which upon clicking activate the phone's call feature.
The mobile site meanwhile seems a bit of a battle to read the text, the underlining, bold and blue clashing and causing your eye to not rest easily on the page. The direct map option per result seems more useful here, as the user will know exactly what to expect from clicking it. Meanwhile in the app, the option sits in the top right hand corner and could fail due to not being clearly labelled.
LISTING PAGE
When selecting a specific listing, the two platforms begin to differ more. The mobile site provides the key information at the top, as does the app, but thereafter provides a text description of the listing. Below this it then repeats the core yell.com search options. I think this is good as it requires less clicking to re-search, however I do feel it is too closely situated to the venue's information.
The app meanwhile bullet points what is on offer at the selected place, a quicker, more efficient process when searching on the go. However, it is the use of icons that prove somewhat hindering. The green phone is pretty much indicative of "call the place". However the two others which feature maps could confuse people by lacking any labelling. A simple title would instantly fix this.
Again, the option to go back or search is provided consistently at the top of the page. I prefer this, as I know it is there and will not mind clicking once to search again. Furthermore, this means the results page features content I want to see, rather than re-using the search option directly below as on the mobile site. Personal choice will dictate the success in this regard.
POPULAR SEARCHES
One area the mobile site beats the app is in allowing the option to view popular choices. One of the pet hates on mobile devices is having to input a lot of data through the keyboard. It can prove slowly and fiddly. Instead the mobile site allows you to search using popular options: restaurants, hotels, garages. The only downside to this again is that it presents it in a non-touch friendly form, with links being too close together.
This could prove a valuable addition to the app, being able to pool more selective results based on your area, through the GPS. In fact, the ambiguous options on the listing page allow the user to get directions to the property. This isn't done in the phone's native Map app though, and so feels a lesser experience with only text directions, compared with Google Maps satellite images to accompany the route. Nonetheless, the such information is clearly laid out with sufficient white space to allow easy reading.
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In all, the app has the potential to advance further than the limitations offered by the mobile site. Personally I prefer it for it's input methods which limit the user making mistakes and well presented information. However kudos should be given to the options provided by the mobile site (maps, popular searches) and all feasible on the broad array of handsets out there, both good and bad.
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