Five Steps To Effective Mobile Web Design

As consumers turn to their mobile devices for Web access, smart Web developers will keep key features in mind as they develop their sites

Almost every report on mobile usage statistics and forecasts says the same thing—more and more people are turning to their mobiles for access to the Internet. In the U.S. and Western Europe, people are increasingly using their BlackBerries, iPhones, and other smart phones to access information on the move.

In many countries, the mobile handset is the primary means to get online. For example, there are more than 60 million mobile users in Turkey, but only around 6 million PC broadband subscribers. Similarly in emerging markets, the high price of PCs and lack of broadband networks make the mobile the single point of contact with the Internet world.

Recent reports by Nielsen indicate that in Britain, mobile Internet traffic grew 25% in the second half of 2008, whilst PC traffic grew only 3%. In the U.S., mobile Internet traffic jumped 30% in the second quarter of 2008 alone. Much of this growth is undoubtedly driven by the Apple iPhone, yet this is just one of many thousands of devices available today, and it only represents a relatively small percentage of the total device landscape.

According to Nielsen, the iPhone represents about 1.5% of devices in use, and even the top 10 only represents around 20% of the subscriber population (see the table below). The remaining 80% represents a significant majority of potential customers using devices ranging from smart phones to more basic devices. Looking further afield to Europe, the top device mix is completely different, with the iPhone and Nokia devices dominating the market.

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