Mobile Web Design

Simply glancing around the train station, airport or waiting room will reveal one of the most important trends in communication. Mobile devices are everywhere and their proliferation is increasing daily. Almost everyone has a web-enabled tablet or smartphone and because of this, mobile web design has become critical to companies who communicate with customers via the Internet. 

Since change comes at warp-speed on anything related to the net, mobile website design is evolving rapidly. Fortunately, there are companies such as Corporate Interactive that specialize in mobile web design. We can help you stay ahead of the curve in this dynamic industry, giving you the platform you need to speak to your customers with a mobile voice.

Smaller Screens Represent a Challenge for Mobile Website Design

No one argues with the fact that mobile devices have taken over. Whether it’s smartphones, iPads, PC tablets or any other gadget, practitioners of mobile web design must take into account these smaller screens with both functionality and coding.

Creation of compelling design that was once accomplished on a traditional website format is much tougher in this smaller medium. However, these mobile devices are not going away and consumer trends show that there will eventually be more smartphones than laptops. Even today, the changing patterns of how users access the web demand that every site should be mobile-ready.

Mobile Website Design is Touch and Go

Aside from the smaller screens, mobile web design requires an understanding of design for a touch screen and not a mouse. Effective mobile website design incorporates tactile elements to interaction with the web. Fingertip navigation is here to stay and mobile web design must take this into consideration.

One simple example of the differences between mobile website design and traditional web design is found in the highlighting of links on a site. Most designers build in hovering tools that enable the link to change color. However, this doesn’t work with mobile website design because users do not use a mouse for navigation. 

Mobile devices such as iPhones and tablets also allow for liquid layouts. This requires mobile website design to be flexible enough to work both horizontally and vertically. There is also a trend, which started with e-readers, towards horizontal scrolling, which is crossing over into mobile web design.

Mobile Web Design and Quick Response Codes 

Quick response (QR) codes, used in conjunction with smartphones, are becoming extremely popular for promotional campaigns and future-proof mobile web design must be aware of this. These bar code squares offer incredible marketing capabilities. In the hands of savvy mobile web design professionals, they also enhance the appearance of a site that is viewed with a web-enabled device. 

Understanding the capabilities and limitations of QR codes is an important criterion for choosing a mobile web design company. While their use is somewhat limited now, they will be commonplace in the near future. 

Mobile Web Design and Search Engine Optimization

Almost every company that uses the web to drive commerce has discovered how important search engine optimization (SEO) is to their success. Since regularly updating a website with original content is a best practice for increasing organic search rankings, many companies are incorporating social networks, blogs or mobile check-ins on their sites. 

Finding a way to efficiently present this constantly updated information is another challenge for mobile website design. Location-based check-ins on social networks, and processing photography from smartphones to social networks are just two of the many tactics that can enhance SEO and build traffic to websites. 

Mobile Web Design: Challenge or Opportunity?

The changes in mobile website design can be intimidating. As web-enabled mobile devices become more common, web design firms must embrace new ways of presenting this information. The screens may be smaller, but the fundamentals of good design remain the same.

Contact one of our friendly team at Corporate Interactive today. We are ready and eager to help your business take full advantage of the opportunities of a mobile webscape.