Internet Marketing for the Mobile Age

Next time you’re out in a crowded public space, take a quick look around you. Do you notice all of the mobile electronic devices everyone is carrying around these days? The growth in mobile computing, whether in the form of smartphones such as the Apple iPhone® or those built on the Google Android™ platform, or in the form of tablets like the iPad®, has changed how we do everything from business collaboration to shopping to seeking out entertainment for the evening.

Indeed, a recent report found that mobile devices now account for an incredible 45% of web browsing, with only 35% of web browsing coming from more traditional Windows-equipped desktops and laptops.[i] In the same report, Mary Meeker forecasts that the number of worldwide smartphone and tablet users will eclipse those of PCs by the end of this year.[ii] In this new tech environment, businesses must address the growing number of people who primarily access the internet via their smartphones and tablets in all future marketing strategies.

A great place to start is to ensure that your website or web app can scale down to sizes more appropriate for tablets, smartphones, and the growingly popular “phablet” (or mini-tablet) devices. Although traditional mobile website design can provide the solution, recent developments in web design offer exciting new ways to target the growing base of mobile-using web surfers. Responsive web designs, for example, detect the device that is viewing the website and adjusts the display of content for optimized viewing based on that device’s screen size and resolution. The HTML5 markup language is also being used to enhance the delivery of content, especially to mobile devices. No matter what solution is implemented, the limited screen size of most mobile devices means that web developers will need to emphasize a new approach in their website designs going forward.

Optimizing the Mobile Experience with Native Mobile Apps

Although HTML5 and responsive and mobile web design can go a long way towards improving the look and feel of your website on a mobile device, these solutions can only go so far. Due to the lag in development of mobile browsers, HTML5 website and online apps do not always function as smoothly as anticipated. The best bet for most businesses is to create a native mobile app to import content from the web. Native mobile apps offer the advantage of empowering users with the capabilities inherent in the device they’re using. Furthermore, most native mobile apps actually draw the bulk of their data from existing websites, adjusting functionality for optimum use on any given platform, so development times and costs likely are smaller obstacles than you may think.

DDA Apps has developed numerous original mobile and online web applications since its inception. DDA Apps is well-versed in all the major programming languages, and has created online and mobile apps to work on any platform and any device. At DDA, illustrators, animators, graphic designers, programmers, writers, videographers, photographers, interactivity specialists, and more pool their diverse talents to create custom-built applications unique to your company and your specific needs. When you’re ready to bring your online marketing strategy into the future; contact DDA Apps.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jesper_yu/7433360864 Jesper Yu via http://photopin.com Creative Commons info: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0



[i] Duncan, Geoff. “What Happens to the Web Now That Smartphones and Tablets Run the Show?” December 7, 2012. Digital Trends. Designtechnica Corporation. February 27, 2013. http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/get-used-to-it-mobile-is-taking-over-the-internet/

[ii] Ibid.