Create Mobile Application/Website using HTML5 and Responsive Web Design

After analyzing the key elements of website development, we came across the latest and best aspects of web designing which impart improved and dynamic skills to fresh and young web designers. At this level of developing and designing a website, we understood that the detailed and deep thinking as well as knowledge are considered as the fundamentals of designing. Mobile applications are also becoming trendy from a designing point of view and for that, HTML5 and Responsive Design are considered to be the best options.

What is HTML5?

HTML5 is the latest and fifth version of Hyper Text Markup Language for websites. Many web designers and web developers are using it. HTML5 takes into consideration the coding standards of previous versions with the accumulation of some advancements. In simple words, the potential of HTML has been expanded in the present HTML5 and the same has become progressive in comparison to previous HTML languages.

Some major improvements that are seen in this version of HTML5 are that web designers can now add images, audio and video to the website page.In addition, this new HTML technology can support almost in every major browser like Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera and also in Internet Explorer. Most web designers know that HTML5 works with CSS3 and it is still developing. According to latest updates, W3C plans to introduce a consistent version of the same next year. HTML5 is widely used for coding mobile based websites, mobile based applications and now mobile devices also has no concerns in interpreting HTML. This means that now mobile phones and tablets are able to support the visuals or displays of the same media that desktop computers or laptops support.

What’s New in HTML5?

HTML5 came into existence to make the coding standards and coding process easier and more consistent for developers. In addition, many developers who are using HTML have found that many syntaxes are used and many multimedia features have been added to HTML5so users can easily access heavy website or application on simple devices. The new features include audio, video, canvas and integration of graphic content. All these ultimately help in easy and quick execution of the web without any plugins or APIs.

HTML5 for Mobile:-

The trend for developing unique mobile apps for diverse mobile platforms is becoming very popular. For instance, some developers like to go for native development and some prefer latest web technologies like HTML5, CSS and JavaScript. However, developing native mobile apps can be expensive as developers need to create an individual app version for all mobile devices and mobile operating systems. In addition, the cost of developing and maintaining the native apps is high as many firms and corporations are implementing the policy of ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD).

HTML5 runs on a server outside to the remote device and mobile users can access the same in their mobile browsers and when HTML based site or app URL is entered into mobile browser, it automatically adjusts in the interface of mobile browser.

HTML5 is a combination of CSS3 and JavaScript based APIs. CSS3 plays a vital role in adding the formats like header, footer, section and figures for related documents so that mobile browsers can exhibit different kinds of content without any need of plugins for their mobile devices. On the other hand, JavaScript based APIs are used for including the validation of information created from mobiles.

HTML5 determines the features of mobile devices. It can be determine via media queries that deliver the features such as screen size, its resolution and orientation of the mobile device. This information is necessary to ensure that the information sent to the mobile is configured to adjust perfectly to the mobile screen so that it can be easily referred by the user.

Tips for Mobile Development using HTML5:-

The most important tip with the regard to mobile development is that the developers need to select the best mobile development platform that suits their requirements. HTML5 can be considered when developers need to launch multi-platform mobile apps,but the same cannot be considered as the right option in every situation. Still there are some areas where HTML5 is considered as the best for mobile development. For instance:-

• Visual Size – In case of native apps, this element has been considered as one of the big plus points. However, now HTML5 has many ways to determine screen size, resolution and orientation and much more.

• User’s Touch Interface – It’s possible through HTML5 that users’ interface can be controlled by touch and swipe. This is because now HTML5 is enough to support such elements.

• Good access for Camera/Video – Just as user’s touch interface, HTML5 can now hold image capture even from the website page. But this is not possible in every mobile device.

• Access for Accelerometer – Accelerometer can be easily accessed through HTML5 and the same has enough features to handle and manage the Accelerometer.

• Availability of HTML5 Apps at Application Stores – After recreating hybrid mobile apps, HTML5 apps can be shared through popular application stores such as Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

• Access to Bluetooth and a feature of sending Notification are still on the way to being developed by HTML5.

Native app development is still trendy in the eyes of some mobile developers. The reason for this is that at some level HTML5 is lacking in the filling the gap of performance and good access to mobile devices. On the other side hand, developers use native app development strategy for those apps that require high performance. Looking to the recent scenario, many developers are thinking that HTML5 will become a great competitor with native app development in the next 2-3 years.

Benefits of Developing Mobile Apps using HTML5:-

• Multiple platform – HTML5 allows developers to create applications for diverse mobile platforms or different mobile operating systems.In simple terms, an application that is coded using HTML5 can be used for iPhone, Android, Windows and Blackberry. While in native app development, developers need to code separate app for different mobile operating.

• Saving in Cost  and Time – The cost and time for developing application using HTML5 is comparatively low when compared to native app development as it allows the developer to code app only once and the cost for maintaining apps is also low. In native app development, a developer has to code application every time for each mobile platform or mobile device.

• SEO viewpoint – As the application is web based, it is obvious that it will show in the search engine but when it comes to marketing it matters more than just application. Every app developer wishes that people will find his developed application at one of the app stores. So, in this regard, he can go for search engines in order to promote and make his app popular.

• Analytics – Once SEO has been analyzed, a developer can use analytics in order to verify the status of his/her application. For instance, he can verify how many users have visited his application page, how many have clicked his app, how many of them have installed it and how many are using it. He can also analyze the download source of the application.

• Browsers Support – HTML5 technology supports almost every browser i.e. Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera and Internet Explorer and it does not need any kind of plugins and addons to make it compatible with these browsers.

Mobile Responsive Design:-

Hope every designer and developer is aware of this term. The term itself tells the meaning i.e. to be responsive with your mobile.In simple words, mobile responsive design refers to the designing that aims to get adjusted in almost every screen. When a website is responsive, the layout, visual as well as content should respond as per the screen size of the device. A responsive design automatically changes and ideally fits in the device screen whether it is the desktop monitor, the laptop, the tablet or the mobile.

Every website owner wants to grab the attention of his/her visitors and try to hold them as much as possible. However, for holding them and getting their attention, his website should be well designed and should contain useful content as well as stuff that are useful for them. He wants the visitors that visit his website experience the best, whether they are surfing his website through desktop, tablet or through mobile.

According to professional web designer, developer and author of responsive design, Ethan Marcotte, responsive web design is the practice of applying fluid grids, fluid or flexible images and media queries for enhancing the viewing contexts of website page. Basically, media queries deal only with certain size, for instance desktop-1600px, netbook-1024px, tablet-768px and mobile phone-320px. According to him, these three are considered to be the best ingredients for creating an effective and impressive responsive design for any website. In many cases, most designers and developers like to go for studiopress.com for testing their developed responsive design.

In absence of Mobile Website, how Responsive Web Design becomes helpful?

In such cases, responsive web design becomes one of the best options to make a website easy to navigate and cheaper to manage.It also helps in giving mobile users the best experience. Additionally, designers just need to design the website once and that will perfectly adjust in any mobile screen or device. This can also help in increasing search visibility and the users do not need to enter ‘m.’ in URL or a separate mobile based domain in order to access mobile-friendly websites.

Once a user accesses a responsive website in any device, the website automatically checks the user’s device, responds and reconfigures itself with the display and function accordingly.

So, in order to create a responsive website or application for your business, click here and get in touch with the creative designers who have years of experience of designing or you can also use site-building tools that support responsive web design.

Additionally, you can also use the following tips to switch your Website to Responsive Web Design:-

• Opt to make change in Website – Generally, responsive web design is the task of managing the various elements of the website.Therefore at some level and in some cases it becomes difficult to adapt the strategy of responsive design to an existing website. Perhaps you need to wait till you start designing the new website or redesigning the existing one.

• Track Mobile Traffic – Tracking the visitors’ data can be one of the most important aspects for any website owner. It tells a lot and shows a good statistical data about the website like the segment of current growing online market and also plans the same for next 2-5 years.

• Verify Competitor’s Website on Different Devices – Prepare a list of sites that are similar to yours and verify those sites on different devices including desktop, tablets and smart phones. Once verified, sort out the best and easiest to access and keep it as a reference for designers.

• Hire Experts having experience in Responsive Design – There are thousands of designers who are offering their best designing skills to their clients and they are still focusing on designing websites for viewing in desktops. Therefore, before hiring one, make sure about his/her experience and if possible also verify examples of websites that are developed by him/her.

• Utilize Effective and Affordable Tools – If you are doing it by yourself, then make use of useful and affordable tools that are available for responsive designing. You can consider the latest tools as well as the updated versions of existing tools.

Benefits of Creating Mobile Website using Responsive design:-

• Reach all types of Mobile Devices – Creating one website that adapts in almost every mobile device will certainly reach a large number of users and also with different mobile devices.There is no need to design a separate site for different device.

• Boost Visibility in Search Engine – Responsive design allows to control a website with a single set of links. This can be considered as a solid part from the viewpoint of SEO strategy. Additionally, the website owner does not need to be concerned about updating the website as there is only one website. It is obvious that quality content improves the ranking of the website in the search engine.

• Increase in Sales and Conversion rates – Improved content and regular updates are considered to be the basics for any successful website and if the website is offering consistent user experience without any type of redirection, then it will create a good impression on the visitors and may result in sales and conversion.

• Saving in Time and Money – As responsive design is a one-time job, it does not require much time to update; designers just need to design it once but it must be responsive so that it can function in various devices. Moreover, as it is not developed for more than one platform, it saves money also.

Hope you have liked this write-up. Your comments on it will be highly appreciated.

Tagged: HTML5, mobile application, mobile website, responsive web design