DotNetNuke is an excellent content management system for handling standard websites and mobile websites. With usage of smart devices excepted to surpass traditional desktop computers, focus should be on providing user with an excellent, unique and personalized experience on their devices. In context of this evolving need the latest versions of DNN offers features such as device detection and redirection.

Device Detection:

This particular feature of the DotNetNuke package makes it possible to identify the device that is accessing the website. Once the identity of the device has been established, different methods can be used to modify the website according to the website. Responsive web design one of them and is often used for this purpose. Other methods may include redirection to another page that is built for certain type of devices or adaptive rendering.Device detection is made possible by a Device Description Repository (DDR) which is basically a database of all known devices that provide connectivity to the Internet.

Responsive Web Design:

Responsive Web Design is a commonly used technique along with device detection to give users an optimized experience. This design approach provides an optimal viewing experience with very little resizing. Percentages are used for element sizing instead of absolute pixel dimensions. This particular feature makes resizing the website according to the resolution of the detected device pretty easy.Images are also flexible and used in relative units. Media queries allow the page to use different CSS style sheets based on width of the browser. In Responsive Web design first a basic web design is built which works as a framework for adding more complexity to the website. For traditional mobile devices that only support HTML and certain feature of CSS, responsive web design still work fine. 

Redirection:

Redirection is another DotNetNuke feature that when combined with the device detection feature gives a brilliant solution for setting up your mobile website. Once the device is detected, the user can be redirected to another specially built website that is optimized for a certain device type. This way you do not have to redesign your original website. Same design can be used with little resizing and panning for use on mobile devices.

Modules:

There are DNN modules available that are specifically developed for adapting DotNetNuke on mobile device without changing the desktop experience. Some of the features of such modules are:

•   Apply separate skins for mobile experience. You can set different skins that will be applied when pages are accessed from mobile devices. This will not change the skin for desktop browsers. Skin designers can now develop mobile friendly skin sets together with desktop skins.
•   DNN portal is accessed through a lighter much.  Anything that is not required on a mobile device is cleared.
•   Select which modules to use on PC and which to use on mobile devices. Same modules can be also be used on both platforms.
•   Device properties such as device type, screen resolution, JavaScript capability and hundred more such features can be used by developers.