Web Design and Web Development

Over 450 million HTML5 supported phones are being used today and growing at a rate of 25 million additional devices a month. The expectation is that there will be over 1 billion HTML5 supported phones by the end of 2011. Your mobile website design is critical to your branding and a successful marketing campaign for your business. Today, everyone is on the move and information is moving with them. To be competitive in the mobile marketplace, you have to consider the importance of design and effective messaging when developing your marketing strategy.

1. Keep It Simple & Searchable
Mobile websites require simple designs because of limited screen space and slower internet connection speeds. Prioritize your content so that it is easily recognizable and accessible by mobile devices and captures your audience. Good visual design allows users to access information with minimum clicks so the simpler, the better.

2. Design like an architect
Building a mobile website is similar to an architect laying a foundation, designing the structure of a building and putting the aesthetic touches on the exterior. Form, function and design are the three components we need to address when approaching mobile website development. The mobile device user wants to navigate websites quickly and an information flow that allows direct navigation paths minimizes clicks and keeps your user happy. Identify your customer base and how information flows need to move for them. HTML5 combined with CSS3 gives developers frameworks to design and deploy mobile applications much faster and with incredible features.

3. Consider fragmentation.
Each device has different screen resolutions and this reality can be problematic for those designing mobile websites. There are applications that can assist you in detecting your visitors’ mobile devices which will optimize your site for the most frequently used devices. The visual experience is what mobile users base their opinions on when assessing the usefulness of your website. Considering the various device specifications when designing your mobile website gives you the advantage over other competitors and allows you greater freedom in marketing because you will be reaching millions of mobile application and website visitors.

4. Location and purchasing power on the go.
Google and Yahoo provide tailored search results to the user based upon location and this translates into increased purchasing power from the user’s Smartphone. Designing your mobile websites to make purchasing fast, easy and visually appealing can transform your bottom line into rock solid earnings.

5. Check your application platform.
Your website needs to comply with industry standards and you can check the guidelines regarding your application platform to assure design and development success of your mobile website.

6. You cannot test enough!
Testing is crucial before launching your mobile websites and while this can be performed from a desktop, this doesn’t allow you to view the website from a user perspective or through different devices. The measure of an effective mobile website is found through this last and important step!

Mobile websites and applications are here to stay and in more demand than ever. Approaching the design and development process for mobile websites can be a fun and creative process that will revolutionize your business and with the right team, you can be highly competitive in the mobile marketplace.