Are your web services ready for the mobile world?
Last week saw the release of the first Windows Phone 7 handsets. The release of these mobile phones was an important launch for Microsoft due to the popularity of smart phones (such as the iPhone and Google's Android run phones) and the huge increase in the rate of 'mobile internet adoption'.
This transformation in the way in which people access the internet is also an important consideration for website owners particularly because of the associated user behaviour and content delivery. While your website can technically be viewed from any mobile handset, user experience via mobile phone brings with it unique constraint and conditions.
User Behaviour
Mobile phones give us the ability to access information from anywhere, at anytime. Whether checking email or Facebook accounts whilst commuting or looking up a phone number or ordering goods during a work break, mobile users tend to use the internet in short bursts. This means that simple and concise websites for mobile users is paramount.
Content Delivery
Connection speed / signal strength affect internet access, and screen size resolutions - which are on average just under 20% of dektop computers - add further constraints. While we are used to the larger screen sizes allowing us to add additional features such as secondary navigation and feature areas, optimising a website for mobile phone users often means stripping away the excess given the multitude of screen sizes and technologies available across handsets.
Having 'mobile mini sites' can be a beneficial addition to a business' web presence so that it can control the way in which its website is displayed. Indeed many companies already invest in additional mobile-optimised websites and services such as apps, which deliver their primary service in an optimised format.
Monrgan Stanley published that "mobile internet adoption outpaces desktop internet adoption" already and within two years "smart phones will outship" PC's.
For businesses having a website has become as standard having business cards. Given this evolution of mobile internet use there may soon come a time when not having a website aimed at the small screen may be unthinkable.
So, are your web services ready for the mobile world? If a large part of your target audience is using mobiles to access your website ask your web agency for advice on whether a separate mobile mini site will enhance your online services.