Website visitors are using an increasing variety of devices, from smart phones, net books, and tablets to desktop PCs and home theatre displays. This trend is not going away and it poses a question for web developers, “How can we make the user experience equally good on as many different devices as possible?”
When we ask, “Is a site mobile-friendly?” we don’t mean, “Is the site visible on mobile phones?” What we want to know is, “Does the site offer a good user experience on a small screen?” Many (if not most) websites still require the user to repeatedly zoom in and out in order to navigate on a mobile phone. This does not equate to a good user experience.
There are two ways to address this issue:
The first option is to build two completely separate websites
The first site would be built specifically for small screens, and this would be the mobile site. The second site would be for larger screens, such as desktop computers. The browser may automatically detect the type of device and deliver the appropriate site, or the user may be invited to visit different addresses depending on the type of device they’re using.
Sometimes the content the user is likely to want or need differs depending on the device being used. It can be advantageous for the mobile version of a site to have fewer options and less depth. Content may be more concise, and the number and size of images may be reduced to lessen bandwidth and download time.
The second option is to build a website with a flexible framework that automatically adjusts to fit the user’s screen
This is called Responsive Web Design, and for many, it is the most practical option. By using a fluid layout, a single website can be easy to use regardless of the device.
Many websites are still built using a fixed width layout. This means that the width of the content is always the same, regardless of the width of the browser window. One sign of a website built this way is when reducing the width of the browser window causes a horizontal scroll bar to appear. With today’s screen size diversity, fluid layouts make more sense. A fluid layout uses relative units to specify the size of each element on a page, and the relative positions are adjusted depending on the size of the display.
If you’d like to learn more about Responsive Web Design, email [email protected] or call 518.392.0846.
One tip i want to add that to give prominent placement on the home page to important information. Mobile visitors are often people on the go who want to find your business. Include your phone number and address.Thanks
i am curious what my options would be to make my website mobile friendly, and what makes the most sense….
Also cost, what would the cost for something like this be?
Hi Lonney,
There are many options, but with a site like yours that is built with static HTML and not mobile-friendly, we usually recommend a rebuild using a content management system. This makes further changes easier to accomplish, and facilitates making it mobile-friendly at the same time.
As for the cost, it all depends on exactly what you want to accomplish. The best thing would be to contact us directly so we can learn more. You can find out contact information on our contact page, or if you prefer you can fill in our online web project form.