Build better mobile experiences, not watered down websites

You reach for your mobile phone, but not to make a call. More than likely, you intend to do something else. Perhaps send a text message, an email or utilize a web application to perform some other special task. The latter is fairly new to all of us. The mobile web may be in its infancy but that doesn’t mean that we have to treat it like an infant.

Like all good platforms this one needs applications that are suited to its strengths and potential. Mobile devices are evolving at an accelerated pace, becoming as powerful as some of the computers from a few years ago. When you reach into your pocket you aren’t retrieving a mere telephone anymore. Modern day mobile devices are location-aware, Internet-connected, portable communications platforms.

Many developers utilize one of two core mobile capabilities: communication and web browsing. It’s the latter, web applications, that are of particular interest. Most of the mobile devices on the market today have built-in browsers and vary in their ability to accurately render the web (with smart phones currently occupying the higher-end end of that spectrum). Because, more and more, people are interacting with the Internet via mobile browsers, there is a growing need for web applications that are specifically designed with this platform in mind.

Some things that should be considered when building a better web application for a mobile device.

1. Users don’t deserve to have a watered down version of a website. They deserve something that will get them to your information or perform actions while they are on the go.
2. Your mobile site should not be an afterthought, it should be a part of your digital strategy
3. Consider how users will interface with your site. Keep in mind that they may undoubtedly have a small keyboard and will be multitasking.
4. Test, test, and test again. Before you release it, test it vigorously. Make sure that it works on as many devices as possible and that you are providing a positive experience.
5. It’s a web application so consider its purpose in the mobile space. If they are bored let them play “Bejeweled” on their device, not with your app. Give them a tool that they can use to accomplish something useful.
6. You have to think about the context and method of Interaction to create the best and most effective mobile experience.

If you consider all of these things when building your mobile web applications you’ll be ahead of the pack. We are living the future right now. Our phones are doing things that we could have only dreamed of a few years back. This isn’t the Zack Morris phone, these are some of the most powerful communications devices available and they will only get better. To ensure the longevity of our applications, we need to continually improve the interactive experience on the mobile platform.