Should Mobile Devices Affect Web Design?
Yes and no. Clear answer right? Here is what I mean: Yes you should consider creating a mobile version of your website using a separate style sheet or even a mobile sub-domain. Mobile device browsing tripled in 2010 and in the same way mobile devices aren't going away, neither is wi-fi access or mobile browsing. Been noticing that some of your favorite local hotspots now offer free wi-fi ?
In the other sense, no, you should not just scrap your web design for a traditional monitor and focus only on a mobile site. Although, as I stated earlier, mobile browsing has tripled over the last year, it's only up from 1% to 3% (aren't statistics so manipulative??) So still the overwhelming majority of internet browsing happens on a traditional computer or laptop with a 1024x768 resolution (or greater).
Here are some interesting figures for 2010 as a whole, compared to those for 2009 from StatCounter:
| Browser | Share | Change | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safari | 25% | -9 | The big loser. More and more non-iPhone-users surf the web, too. |
| Opera | 24% | -1 | Slow decline. I think it’s mostly due to the disappointing Q4 figures. |
| BlackBerry | 16% | +8 | Doubled |
| Nokia | 16% | -3 | |
| Android | 9% | +6 | Tripled |
| NetFront | 4% | -1 | |
| Samsung | 1% | +1 | |
| UCWeb | 1% | +1 | |
| Other | 4% | -2 | |
| WebKit | 51% | -5 | Safari, Nokia, Android, Samsung |
| Mobile | 3% | +2 | TRIPLED! |
In my opinion, the usage of websites on mobile devices will skyrocket in 2011 & 2012 for 2 reasons:
1. Mobile devices are becoming more and more accessible world wide as is internet access and 3G/4G network speeds.
2. Mobile devices are now doubling with the advent of iPads and other tablet manufacturers.
If you don't currently have a mobile site, I highly recommend beginning the planning process to budget for it over the next year. In the same way that a traditional website is now a top priority for any business or organization, mobile websites will soon be as well.