Mobile internet usage is on the rise: projections show that by 2015, more people will use mobile devices than computers to get online. Thanks to the iPhone, iPad and Android devices among others, this market segment is growing at an unstoppable rate.
Mobile versions of websites will soon be essential for a range of location-based businesses, such as restaurants and stores. Mobile commerce will also see strong growth in coming years, so it’s important your online store can be accessed on a mobile device.
Using a smartphone to access a website that is not optimized for mobile use can be a painful experience. Some providers of website builders have clearly recognized this.
So who has done the best job in this arena?
Mobile websites from Jimdo, Weebly and Webnode
Our new Tool Tester, Fabian, carried out some tests on his 4th Generation iPod Touch.
Webnode
Webnode have offered mobile versions of their websites since early 2010. Here’s how they look:
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Rating:
+ Online stores also optimized for mobile use
– Have to scroll to the bottom of the page for navigation menus and a link to the standard view
More info:
> Detailed Webnode Review
> Webnode website
Weebly
Weebly followed suit almost a year after Webnode.
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Screenshots from Affiluc.com
Rating:
+ Easy access to menu and standard view
+ Attractive layout (you can even choose a base color)
+ Mobile version can also be disabled
More info:
> Detailed Weebly Review
> Weebly website
Jimdo
Jimdo’s websites went mobile-ready in May of this year.
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Screenshots from wdnk.de
Rating:
+ Two ways to access the menu: button on the right, or scroll to the bottom
+ Online store also mobile-optimized
+ Clear layout
+ Mobile version can also be disabled
More info:
> Detailed Jimdo Review
> Jimdo website
Wix
Wix.com also recently released a website builder for mobile sites (Alpha release). Wix websites used to be the worst when it comes to the mobile web. The problem is that Apple does not support Flash on the iPhone and/or iPad due to some questionable policy. But we can now see a (small) light at the end of the tunnel:
Rating:
+ Finally a way to enable iPhone users to display Wix sites
– Not automatically enabled
– A second website needs to be created and maintained
– Features are quite limited at this time
More info:
> Detailed Wix Review
> Wix website
Updates:
30 Aug 2011: Webs.com have now also added a mobile website version. What’s nice about it is that it will also be created automatically. You can even choose a template and pick your preferred colors. All in all it is a great addition but should feature more pre-built designs.
Where does that leave the rest?
Other well-known providers such as Squarespace, Yola and Homestead have yet to offer mobile versions for websites built on their platforms. This means mobile browsers try to render these pages in their entirety – so smartphone users have to zoom in and out a lot, which can get a little tiresome.
Conclusion
It’s great to see such a forward-thinking approach from some website builders. Mobile internet usage is already significant, and will become even more so in the not-too-distant future. With any luck, we’ll see the rest of the pack fall into line before long.
