With Tablet PCs coming out almost every month this year and smartphones gaining an ever wider hold on the market the shift is slowly going from PCs and laptops towards mobile devices.

The latest figures indicate that in the US Google’s Android is winning the battle over the iPhone powered, on a large part, by the widespread adoption of Tablets and internet-access-capable smartphones.

Website owners who already have a website should now be looking whether it is mobile device capable and, if not, what updates can be run to make it so.

Websites that Work on Mobile Devices

Although every website will show on a mobile device not every website is mobile platform ready. Mobile devices create display code shortcuts and (in the case of the iPad which uses HTML5) do not show Flash elements. This means that unless your website is specifically coded to reflow on the smaller screen of a mobile device and be translated correctly by the browser code mobile platforms use, you will most likely miss out on the opportunity of connecting with a sizeable portion of the online population.

Websites that are too old to be successfully updated to show on mobile devices can usually be updated at root level. This not only gives them the opportunity to update their code for the latest browsers but also run some security patches which are probably much needed.

Website Upgrade Checklist

If you are thinking of having your website recoded to show up on mobile devices there is a handy checklist you should run through first:

• Website function – what is your website’s reason for being? If you are selling large ticket items or heavy goods then it is unlikely that the added expense of a website upgrade for a mobile platform will add much by the way of extra sales (though the ability to see your site from anywhere may convince more).

• Cross-platform stability – getting your website recoded for a dual platform role is great provided you do not have on it the kind of frames or banner styles which really demand a larger screen to show properly. Check to make sure that the shrinking in size will not affect the visual experience.

• Security – with huge companies like Sony and Microsoft http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2011/04/Sonys-PlayStation-Network-hacked.html falling prey to hack attacks cybersecurity and the ability of your website to respond fast should anything happen are crucial issues. This is a golden opportunity to look into armouring your website against external attacks and checking what contingencies are in place should the unexpected ever happen and your website’s security is compromised.

Should you have any further queries, would like a quote on mobile site updates or have any questions regarding website security do not hesitate to contact us.

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