It doesn’t exactly come as a surprise when you learn approximately 75% of the world population uses a mobile phone, of which a fast-growing percent of these devices are smartphones. As this number increases, so does the need and demand for mobile applications.
Mobile web application provides users with seamless and highly interactive platforms to access information about other people, products, and services. One of the many intriguing features these mobile web apps have is the ability to provide this information in an instant and in real-time.
There is no doubting the many wonders of mobile web applications, which is why a lot of people are subscribing to them. But there are times when this could turn a frustrating and difficult experience with poorly designed interfaces and navigations.
One of the most annoying things about software development, as a software developer, is trying to work around the edges in order to accommodate as many mobile servers as possible, with each client having its own functions and attributes. Whatever it is you decide to develop, whether it is a mobile web, native, or hybrid app, it can be a frustrating experience when trying to accommodate and understand multiple mobile browsers, more exotic devices.
But It doesn’t have to be a frustrating experience when trying to support as many mobile clients as possible, not any more. With software development technology, developing mobile web apps becomes an easy task. If you or your company has decided to create a mobile web application, you will need to understand when, why and how you can go about it.
This article on developing mobile web applications is centered on procedures and tools to employ, and pitfalls to avoid, in the development of highly functional, intuitive, and easy-to-use mobile web applications.
Why You Should Develop Mobile Web Apps
Mobile web apps are mobile applications that are enhanced for a seamless mobile experience. They are different from mobile applications in that they are websites written in HTML/CSS and are run by a browser. Although they may be designed to look like mobile apps, they don’t really have much in common.
Personalization is one of the most important reasons businesses build a mobile web app. Developing mobile web app provides a business with the opportunity to directly communicate with customers.
Building and maintaining the application is another aspect you would need to consider. A reliable and productive team will be required, along with reliable and productive tools. You will also need to be concerned with what web technology you would use that would web application development success.
What You Should Know About Developing Mobile Web Applications
There is a great deal of planning involved in developing mobile web applications. The first step would be to identify your system’s requirements, and is one of the most basic steps in software development generally.
You can cautiously research the specific capabilities to determine if they are attainable in your mobile web app. It can be a frustrating and wasteful experience to realize that one or more of your essential client functions aren’t supported. That would mean all the time and resources you have invested in designing the web-based interface and supporting infrastructure are all gone to waste.
If you are new to mobile web development, one way you can get around easily is to assume that web-based code for a desktop browser will work “as is” in a mobile browser. Not. There most definitely are differences and, if you’re not aware of them, they can hurt you. The HTML5 <video> tag’s auto play functionality, for instance, doesn’t work on mobile browsers. Likewise, the CSS transition and opacity properties are not supported (or at least are not consistently supported) in most mobile browsers nowadays. You will also have problems with some web API methods on a mobile platform, such as the SoundCloud music streaming API that requires Adobe Flash which is not supported on most mobile devices.
Software Development Technology
Software development is a broad field, which includes programming languages, backgrounds, and technologies. Some of the most popular software development technologies that can help with developing mobile web applications include JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and SQL.
JavaScript, HTML, and CSS are the foundation for user experience and interface. They are responsible for what users see and experience online and in their mobile devices, running everything from simple websites to the complex, rich web applications many companies now use as first-line productivity tools.
Software development technologies are the right tools for developing mobile web apps. This article provides information on some of the more popular and widely-used tools for mobile web app development, but you should know that there be other tools that may be more suitable for developing your mobile web application, depending on your requirements and available resources.
Conclusions
With the growing rate of mobile phones and the continued use of smartphones, the need for effective, user-friendly, high-performance mobile applications is expected to surge significantly. Companies will be looking to develop mobile web applications to behave more intelligently and efficiently. Being able to develop these apps with the right tools will therefore continue to be of paramount importance. I hope this mobile web app development article brings you a step closer to your goal.
Taylor is a freelance SEO copywriter and blogger. His areas of expertise include technology, pop culture, and marketing.
