Quite often we meet publishers and web designers that have previous experience with mobile web publishing. Usually this means that a basic mobile version was created out of an RSS-feed, perhaps in addition to a simple landing page. Due to lack of traffic and exposure these skunkworks projects from circa 2006-2007 are quickly forgotten, with mobile traffic organically heading to the desktop version of the site.
Due to the way Mobify works (linking the mobile view to the main, desktop version of the site) our customers treat mobile as something that is tied to their web presence. After a major redesign (introducing new theme, data feeds, functionality) it is normal to spend a few minutes adjusting the mobile view in order to reflect the updates on the small screen version. In the beginning having to consider mobile in major design decisions might seem an inconvenience, but quickly it becomes apparent that to stay competitive, a web publisher must treat mobile as an ongoing workflow.
This is the Web mentality at it’s best. Release often, iterate quickly, stay on the edge. Compare it to today’s coverage of the Facebook 3.0 by TechCrunch titled “Facebook 3.0 For iPhone Submitted. Now Let’s Count The Days Until It’s Available“ – is the future of mobile really tied to long release cycles and approvals by third parties? (disclaimer: we absolutely admire Joe Hewitt’s work!). At Mobify, we’re committed to let every web designer define and implement their own vision of mobile – as quickly and efficiently as the rest of their iterative processes.
Let us know what you think the right mobile workflow should be and how Mobify can help make it better.
