Mobile web or app?

There is no doubt that more and more people are using their smartphones to access the web.

Many of the websites I manage have at least 10% of their hits from an iPhone... Mobile search has grown 500% in the last two years according to Google... 75% of mobile users use their mobile device for shopping

So, is it time to have a mobile friendly website or a mobile app? If you are a retailer, restaurant, a tourist destination or have an online shop, then yes, it probably is. But which one should you choose?

Generally, I would suggest a mobile friendly website as it means you have one web address and so benefits your search engine rankings. It is generally a more cost effective solution and easier to be compatible across most devices and platforms.

An app can have advantages if you have specific functions that a customer would like to be able to do on their mobile. However, they can be expensive and you have to build one for the iPhone, for Android, for Windows and for Blackberry if you are to cover all of your potential customer base.

If you would like some help in creating a mobile friendly version of your website, please do contact me - it would be a pleasure to help!



Formal degree vs. self taught - infographic created by WebdesignerDepot

Another nail in the coffin for Flash

The Guardian is reporting today that Adobe will no longer support Flash on the Android mobile operating system.

This is five years after Steve Jobs announced that Flash would not be compatible on the iPhone. This caused much consternation amongst users at the time.

I am pleased to say that I never bothered to learn Flash. It certainly made great effects for websites; but it was not accessible to Google and so harmed your search engine rankings; nor did it comply with web standards.

So, inevitably, Flash will be neglected and become yesterdays technology very soon. Its effects can now be replicated by better and more accessible methods. If your website has Flash, I suggest you look into replacing it now.

Here is a link to the Guardian article.