With the popularity of smart phones and tablets rapidly increasing the current mobile internet just doesn’t quite cut the mustard.
According to the Office for National Statistics 45% of people surveyed said they made use of the net while on the move, compared with 31% in 2010 and studies suggest that mobile internet usage may take over desktop internet usage by 2014.
Ofcom has revised proposals for its fourth-generation mobile spectrum auction, adding measures that could bring coverage to 98% of the UK meaning that rural areas will see much improved mobile internet connectivity.
This is all great news, but how does this effect whats on the web?
More and more companies are deploying mobile websites to react to the volume of people using smartphones and tablets to access the internet, although there are vast amounts of websites on the internet that unsuitable for mobile use.
What makes a website unsuitable for a mobile device?
- Size of the website – mobile internet currently isn’t that quick, the last thing you want is to have to wait for a huge site to load over your slow connection.
- Content Rich Material – There are still a number of sites that use Adobe Flash elements, these will not load on some smart phones and tablets (mainly Iphone/Ipad).
- Site complexity – Most smartphone’s screens are still relatively small and don’t have resolutions as large as desktop screens, therefore fiddily navigations or small links can be troublesome for mobile users.
How can we get around this problem?
A lot of major companies are developing mobile versions of their websites which provides mobile users with a quicker and simplier interface to access their website’s content, some mobile sites include:
- Facebook – http://m.facebook.com
- Twitter – http://m.twitter.com
- Marks and Spencer – http://m.marksandspencer.com
- BBC – www.bbc.co.uk/mobile
Great, so when should I get one?
Now. Mobile Internet is increasing daily, if it is important for visitors to be able to get your website content on the move then start thinking about how a mobile website could benefit your company.
If you would like some more information on how TheStudio4 can help you with your mobile website click here.