WHY THE MOBILE WEB IS THE FUTURE.

• The mobile web is device independent.
• You can program with the same web technology (HTML/CSS/Javascript) that’s probably already in use on your desktop site.
• Wide support for these technologies on mobile devices is available and growing rapidly, largely due to the success of Safari on the iPhone.
• New mobile browser technology is breaking down the barriers between what is possible in the browser vs. what had previously only been possible in native web applications. (For example, accessing location.)
• New browsers support technology like HTML5 and CSS3, which lets you create rich interactions and make use of offline data storage.
• Distribution and updating can occur instantaneously simply by republishing to the web.

UNDERSTANDING USER NEEDS
Just like desktop web site design, mobile design strategy revolves around understanding the needs of your users. If you have a good website, you probably already have a solid insight as to their needs. But even so, you can’t assume that your users’ needs are the same on a mobile device as they are on the desktop.

UNDERSTANDING USER CONTEXT
Mobile refers to the user’s situation, not the device. The key to designing for mobile customers is to understand their context. Understanding their context means understanding HOW, WHERE, WHEN and WHY that person is using their mobile device.

The mobile web is not the same as the desktop web. Although it has advantages and disadvantages, it’s neither better nor worse. It needs to be thought of as its own unique entity…consider it the misunderstood cousin of its desktop counterpart

Questions to ask yourself when addressing your users’ context.

• Who are your users?
• In what situations might they be accessing your site on a mobile device (as opposed to on a desktop pc)?
• What are their constraints?

Time:
People usually access their device during idle moments, while in transit, or between other daily tasks.

Physical Constraint:
Mobile phones are often operated with one hand (on a train, while driving (uh-oh you’re gonna get caught!), or while carrying small children or mammals.)

• What value could your content or service provide your audience, based on their situation?
• What type of mobile device are they likely to be using?
• After investigating your users’ context, you can start exploring the best ways to communicate with them. With context in mind, you should start thinking about your web content, and how it can adapt to the constraints of a mobile device.

Device constraints include:

• Small screen size
• Intermittent or slow network connectivity
• Long page load times\
• Limited support for advanced web functionality
• Limited battery life
• Huge disparity in devices and device capability in the market

It’s easy to look at all these constraints as shortcomings of the mobile web. The truth is that understanding these limitations is essential to developing a strong mobile strategy. But more importantly, the key is to realize that mobile sites have a tremendous potential to engage users, and offer many advantages over traditional desktop sites.

Advantages over desktop sites include:

• Mobile devices can be location-aware, giving you the ability to deliver content that is directly relevant to your users’ context.
• More people in the world have internet enabled mobile devices than desktop computers, making it a key (if not the primary) means of mass communication
• People have an intimate relationship with their mobile phones. They are typically not shared the way that a family might share a desktop computer. Because of this, there’s a lot of potential to market toward an individual’s desire to personalize their device and make it their own
• They are always “on”. Most devices access the web, sending and receiving email and text messages, even when the owner is not actively using it.\
• People carry them by their side religiously. Think about how you would feel if you lost your phone, or even accidentally left it at home one day (quick: did you just check to make sure you have your phone in sight?).

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