According to Morgan Stanley, the future of computing is going mobile. They say that mobile Internet usage will surpass desktop Internet use by 2014. Yes the world is going mobile and getting smarter, turning to Smartphones that is. For those uncertain of the term Smartphones , cell phones with advanced computing capabilities including Internet browsing.
May be you have one or know someone who has one but according to Nielsenwire, apparently we are in the early adopter phase of Smartphones. Only about 23% of the cell phone users in the US are using Smartphones. Of the scores of different Smartphones available, Blackberries, iPhones and iPads dominate new Smartphone sales with the Droid gaining market share by the day.
These Smartphones have more computing power than the computer that first put a man on the moon in 1969. Phone calls, emailing, texting, getting directions, and Internet browsing from one small handheld device are now luxuries enjoyed by these early adopters. However as the wireless networks get faster, Smartphone Internet usage will become cheaper, easier and more prevalent. Walt Mossberg says, “…in a nutshell, most of the industry is gradually moving from “3G” networks to faster networks called “4G,” or fourth generation. This will take several years and billions of dollars, and will be turned on city by city.”
In the future, bigger is not necessarily going to be better. Do you remember how excited you were when you went from a 15-inch computer monitor to a 17-inch monitor? I do. Then up to a 19-inch? Then a 21 inch? Then 26? A 30-inch monitor? Now we are going the other way. Today, web sites must be designed for these huge monitors and for Smartphones with very tiny screens at the same time. Web sites must look good, be effective, and work properly on both a large and a small format screens. If your web site is more than 3 years old, it is likely time to consider a redesign. More importantly, is that your web site be ready for the mobile, smarter, faster, and smaller world.