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The advent of the smartphone, and the iPhone in particular, has revolutionised the way people browse the internet in recent years. Whether it be to say hello to their thousands of friends on Facebook, tweet their followers on Twitter or to undertake one of the millions of tasks that there is an app for, it has become increasingly apparent that more and more people are using their smartphones rather than their computers to go online. In fact, it has been predicted* that by 2013 there will be more people going online on their mobile phones, than there will be people going online on their computers.

Therefore, to not have a smartphone website, that is, a website that has been designed specifically for the smartphone, is to miss out on what is an ever growing audience, who all too often have spare moments to browse – on the bus, train, plane, in a queue or even with their feet up on the sofa at home.

The problems associated with visiting standard websites on a mobile phone

Browsing standard websites on mobile phones, even smartphones, presents its own set of problems, and the reason for this is that they have been designed to be viewed on a much larger screen, using a hi-speed internet connection. Typically, the problems are:

1. The website takes far too long to open. Not all phones are equipped with, or always have access to hi-speed data connectivity such as 3G, and waiting for all the images to appear can leave the visitor frustrated, and give them every excuse to move on quickly to another website.
2. Navigation is very awkward using your finger. Even with faster devices such as the iPhone 4, it’s cumbersome to navigate your way around with your finger, a website that has been designed to be navigated using a mouse. It can be a slow and difficult process for the visitor to find what they are looking for, and may lead them to quickly move on elsewhere.
3. The important information is difficult to find. As most websites are designed to be viewed on a large screen, the important information is quite likely to be spread out across the page. Accessing this information on the small screen is difficult, especially if you have to keep moving across it, and zooming in and out to read it properly.
4. Some elements of the website may not appear. Some file formats, such as Flash, are not supported on the iPhone and iPad, so navigation, interactive illustrations or animations in this format will simply disappear from the website!

The solution

The solution is to create an app-like smartphone website, or ‘Webapp’, that is easy to use and provides visitors with relevant information that can be accessed quickly. Developing a smartphone website also allows you to take advantage of the technology contained on the device such as GPS, and oh yes, the ability to make a telephone call directly from the website!

I want a smartphone website. What now?

So, having decided that a smartphone website or ‘Webapp’ is a must-have, where do you start? You need to begin by asking yourself a few questions, such as:

1. What information will benefit the visitor most? Remember that they are likely to be viewing the website when they are out and about. Location? Opening times? Telephone number?
2. How can I make this information as easy as possible to access? Presenting this information clearly, and in a way that visitors can access it quickly is going to make their experience a pleasurable one, and increase the likely-hood of them returning for another visit.
3. Are there other services available on the device that can enhance the visitors experience further? Maps showing your location, and the visitors current position for example, can be extremely useful.

Answering these questions will keep you focused on the key aspects of the website during development, and avoid unnecessary diversions. The conclusions you draw can be used by your website designer to create a site-map and interface around delivering the key information.

The end product

The end product is a website that opens up to you an ever growing audience of people accessing the internet on the go, and a ‘Webapp’ that is capable of delivering content that the desktop version by its nature cannot deliver.

* Source: Gartner http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1278413