Mobile web browsing is the fastest way users can view internet content. 28% of the U.S. population is utilizing mobile devices as the primary way of accessing the web. When looking over your website have you ever noticed that it is not mobile friendly, meaning users have to pinch to zoom in order to view your content?
User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) are the most important components for any website besides the content. We establish and design websites for the end user; with the mass amount of people using the web on mobile, it is necessary for organizations to create sites that are mobile friendly.
There are two approaches you can take when designing exceptional UI and UX sites for mobile users. These two approaches are dedicated mobile sites or responsive web design (RWD). Dedicated mobile sites produce great UI and UX for any end user. These sites make it easy to navigate around without having to pinch to zoom or extensive scrolling. Many of these sites are designed specifically for the end user but they also limit the content you are able to have. By limiting your content you are not giving the end user the best experience they can achieve by viewing your site on a mobile device; the look and feel along with your brand image may also change because you will have two separate sites. In this regard dedicated mobile sites may not be the best route to go when establishing a mobile site for your organization.
Another approach to take when designing your mobile website is RWD. When designing your site with RWD you simply create one site that is flexible across all platforms. RWD is based on a grid system that adjusts the content on your site to the screen that it is being displayed on. RWD is the perfect solution for mobile devices because it maintains the same UI and UX of the original site across all different devices, from your desktop screen to your phone. By using the same design and interface, end users will not miss out on any content and will not be burdened with pinching, pulling and extensive scrolling to view any of your online materials.
The UI and UX, and design of your website should be consistent across all media platforms. Every day more and more users are using mobile devices to view online content rather than firing up their computers. With the right UI and UX design your site will be at the forefront of the mobile web browsing world.