It used to be called convergence, or the way different devices and media are coming together on the Internet. Just in case you missed it, it has happened. Smart-phones and a plethora or other mobile devices have now fully joined the Internet world. These devices are heavily used every day to browse the web, send email, shop online and many other activities previously associated with desktop computers. Numbers are hard to disagree with, and they say that up to 40% of web browsing today originates from mobile devices.
What Mobile Devices?
The number and variety of Internet connected mobile devices is staggering and keeps growing. In fact the capabilities and power of these devices have virtually matched those of desktop computers to be adopted as primary touch points for any type of connected application. In fact we can expect this trend to continue as vendors such as Samsung and Apple promise to release more and more in the coming years.
From browsing and searching to web enabled business applications, traditional desktop computers are fast being overtaken by mobile devices. An acknowledgement of this fact is Google’s recent update of its Adwords targeting system to be device independent, a sign that desktop and mobile differences have disappeared.
The reality today is that people access the Internet through a wide range of equally powerful and capable devices. The differences between mobile and desktop computing have now become irrelevant and people simply connect anytime and anywhere.
Mobile Responsive Websites
Mobile responsive design allows websites to target visitors irrespective of their browsing device. In other words, a mobile responsive website will adapt itself to work correctly on all sorts of devices.
An older solution to this same problem was mobile detection which went down a rather different path. Mobile detection was used to create specialized versions of websites to suit specific mobile devices and models. Although a valid approach, this technology was soon overrun by the sheer number of devices rolled out.
Mobile responsive technology on the other hand produces websites that will work on any device, present or future. This is because the technology does not target specific devices or specifications but simple adds rules to allow the site to adapt to any platform.
What Does This Mean To Us
It means that businesses, especially small businesses, can streamline and focus their marketing efforts (and hard pressed budgets) to target customers irrespective of their devices. The technology, whilst slightly increasing initial development costs, greatly reduces the costs associated with running campaigns and updating and managing of separate sales and marketing channels. It is a fact that by removing the complexities of marketing across different mobile devices business can respond quicker and become more effective.
The bottom line is that Mobile Responsive technology allows businesses to focus and improve their customer experience rather than grapple with devices. Doesn’t that sound good?
Webcraft
Webcraft develops and delivers online digital solutions from small websites to complete eBusiness packages. Speak to us to learn more how your business could benefit.