All for one and one for all
The last thing the Summersault digital team want to do is scare people away by being too technical… the key to our success is keeping things simple for everyday users.
So without getting too geeky, the fact that you can read this through an app on your mobile, tablet or computer marks a milestone in web optimisation.
But many businesses are still not taking advantage of the changes that make it possible to mirror their laptop or home PC content on their mobile.
In a nutshell, we’ve reached a turning point with the web where it’s now crucial that we consider mobile viewing and incorporate it into each level of design and development so it’s an equal to the desktop experience.
We’re wary of trying to blind people with science, so here’s a bit of history.
For the last decade we’ve been building websites in the same way: where they were designed within a certain number of pixels, tailored for desktop monitors.
But since the release of the iPhone and iPad, mobile usage has exploded to a point where it now rivals traditional computers.
People now can’t or don’t want to wait to get home to check their social media updates when they have an app or web-app on their mobile, so it’s vital that we make sure website content and layouts are built to fit the myriad of new devices on the market.
We now have the technical ability that allows us to create sites that scale to every resolution imaginable, while incorporating touch-based features usually found purely in native applications.
That means you can essentially build once, and distribute to all.
Older browsers such as Internet Explorer receive a normal website, but if your browser is capable of using more advanced features you get an enriched experience. Without turning too techie on you, it’s a technique known as progressive enhancement.
It means this website will automatically scale down to have a web app-like appearance when loaded on a smartphone or tablet.
You can then swipe through the case-study galleries with your finger as you would in a photo gallery application, all within the browser on your mobile or tablet. If you are using a decade-old browser however, you can still get our site as you would normally.
The web is currently evolving at an astonishing rate, but as you can see we’re keeping up and staying ahead of the field to capitalise on the mushrooming mobile presence.
Maybe you should too?