Website Matters

MEL MYERS Jetpack Web Design

SHOULD YOUR WEBSITE BE MOBILE FRIENDLY?

Based on our statistics of Australian websites usage, 50 per cent of visitors are on a mobile phone, 15 to 20 per cent use tablets, and 30 per cent use desktop or laptop computers. Broadly speaking, websites handle these device types in three different ways:

1. The websit e is displayed the same no matter what device. This represents the majority of websites, and almost all older websites fall into this category. The same website is loaded in all scenarios and it is up to the device to resize or display it. Desktops and tablets usually display these sites as intended but they are often small or hard to read on mobile devices.

2. Desktops and tablets display the main version of the website, and mobiles are served a special ‘mobile only’ version. This style of website allows completely different presentation and/or content depending

on the type of device. Great examples are bank websites where the mobile experience is more lightweight and streamlined compared to the desktop counterpart.

3. Respo nsive websites adapt based on the device. Websites can be browsed on all devices and take advantage of the screen size available. For example, an online shop might show two to three products abreast on a mobile, four to five on a tablet, and six to 12 on a desktop computer. In fully responsive websites, large desktop screens can look completely different to a smaller screen.

For new websites the latter two options are preferred. Existing websites can either be replaced or upgraded to be mobile friendly. The right answer depends on the business and what is commercially realistic.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mel has been running successful online businesses for 18 years and has written numerous websites and online applications including manufacturing facilities, accounting systems, shopping carts, and even a search engine. Mel is the owner of Jetpack which specialises in creating amazing websites.

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