More and more smartphones and tablets are being utilized every day. These devices are able to do just about anything, and have become the fastest way of receiving information. How often do you find yourself reaching for you phone rather than turning your computer on?
Viewing websites, downloading information and even purchasing items on mobile devices is becoming more and more popular with consumers; the days of only being able to view information on a computer are long gone. Mobile websites are extremely important for any company to have as they are moving forward. However, many companies may wonder which mobile platform is best for them. A common misconception is that the companies utilizing mobile sites the most are ones who are creating applications. However, today many are creating user friendly websites and can provide you access to any updated website you want on any device.
There are multiple ways companies can set up their sites’ for mobile use. Many just use their same site across all platforms, which is not always the best for the end user experience. When using the same site across multiple platforms mobile users may get caught using techniques like pinching, zooming and extensive scrolling to view content. User interface design and user experience are extremely important aspects to any website and should be designed appropriately for all the various devices.
Many companies design dedicated mobile websites, which are appropriate to get their message out. However, dedicated mobile websites have a tendency to limit what users are able to do. Limiting user capability will most likely just make them frustrated as they may not be able to use certain functions they have become accustomed to.
The newest form of web and mobile web design is known as responsive web design (RWD). RWD re-formats websites to the size of the screen it is being displayed on. Companies who choose to redesign their sites with RWD can present users with all the content they need on any platform without any pinching, zooming or extensive scrolling. RWD is designed on a flexible grid system that adjusts content (both copy and images) to any device allowing users to get the content they want at a size that is viewable for their devices (both horizontal and vertical) and is much more convenient.
Mobile devices generate information faster than ever before. Now is the best time for companies to design information for mobile users. Utilizing the right resources to design the best mobile website will ensure faster growth, more attention and business for any company.