Up until recently, mobile website designers for Android only had to worry about what their applications would look like on small-screened phones and other mobile devices. But with more and more types and sizes of Android phones and tablets entering the market, mobile designers that handle Orlando web design are faced with design challenges.
Poor Design Experience Means Lost Business
What happens when a traditional phone application gets displayed on a large screen tablet? The viewer sees lots of empty space and sparse content. Furthermore, it is likely that they won’t remain on the site for very long.
To fix that and maintain visual interest in the application, website designers need to execute uniformity in design that accommodates all screen sizes. It’s not an easy task but professional and experienced web designers are well equipped to handle this.
Android Device Size and Resolution
Although there is an explosion of Android devices on the market, size and resolution are also especially important design factors. The Android operating system can attempt to dynamically load resources based on device criteria; however, it is important to have layouts available for small, medium, and large screens.
There are four basic screen according to Android Developers:
- Xlarge screens at least 960dp x 720dp
- Large screens at least 640dp x 480dp
- Normal screens at least 470dp x 320dp
- Small screens at least 426dp x 320dp
Android Developers recommend providing alternative layouts for the different sizes, although the operating system will potentially resize a layout also.
Attractive Design for Android
When it comes to designing mobile sites that will look good regardless of the type of mobile device a viewer sees it on, “keep it simple” is the mantra of expert Android web developers.
They will keep screen designs streamlined and free from clutter to make sure buttons and other touch controls are an adequate size.
Try to keep in mind the people who will be viewing the mobile content. Even the best thought-out mobile plans can go awry and cause users to drift away from the site.
Mobile devices aren’t just another way to reach customers, but there are definitely ways to engage them,
Android Users Are Transaction Oriented
An Android smartphone user is transaction-oriented and will expect more from a no-frills interface. Stay away from using a lot of Flash and complex sites. Tablet users are especially looking for more of an experience that could include video, images, and other content, but the designer should always keep the tablet websites easy to navigate.
Android Design Strategy
Business owners looking for new ways to promote their online business effectively need to have an Android website design strategy. It is important to understand the differences between Apple and Android, the advantages and disadvantages of both platforms, and how they can benefit your online business.
Differences Between Android and Apple
The biggest difference between Android and Apple as operating systems is in terms of their user interface. However, a lot of people are confused about the differences between the two because they have become similar in appearance and functionality. It is very important to recognize that Apple’s design is more advanced, functional, and secure while Android is more intuitive and casual.
Both iOS and Android share a lot of the same characteristics. They are both displayed on mobile devices, and they both have a similar form factor. Both platforms can – in theory – be used on any kind of smartphone; however, the software that controls their functionality and display is very different. To illustrate the differences you need to look at some of their common features.
An iPhone can be used to browse the web, capture images, stream video, make voice and video calls, and send text messages. All of these activities occur in association with browsing. When you browse on the web it does not matter which browser you use or what operating system you’re using. The web pages will display exactly the same no matter which browser you use. An Android phone is slightly different because it cannot always be used in this way.
The iPhone runs on iOS and has many features that are compatible with the Mac operating system. There is even conjecture that Apple has plans to combine its mobile and desktop operating systems in the future for maximum functionality. While this makes it compatible with many Macs, it also limits you when it comes to browsing the web on other devices. An Android phone has to be used on the Windows operating system, so there is a huge opportunity for you to access your site from other devices. You can even access your website using a tablet PC. This type of platform is completely different from the iPhone and iPad and will make a huge difference in how the designer approaches their ability to create content for your website.
Android Widgets
If your web designer needs to customize your website, then he or she will find that iPhone’s widgets and Google widgets are much easier to add to an Android site. For instance, if you wanted to add the Google Maps location function to your website then it is not a big problem to get it to work.
When designing an Android app it is important to make sure that there are also Google widgets available to work with it. Fortunately, both platforms have many of the same applications available in their respective online stores. But this also means that you must include all of the Google-specific features in the application. There are many widgets that you can choose from that will allow you to create a complete layout and make sure that everything works.
Display Compatibility
Users should be able to take advantage of the larger screens on most phones without compromising the functionality of the website. This is why it is important to get a website design that can be easily viewed on both an Android and iPhone device.
Despite the need for compatibility, websites made for the iPhone and Android can differ in the ways that they are designed. In this case, the web designer will need to be creative when it comes to creating the layout of your website to make it look like it is designed for all screens. This way you can add more content without sacrificing the overall look and feel of the website.
Android Design Tools
Because it is important to customize a website for all devices, website developers need considerable design experience and coding expertise. This way, they will be able to use the same HTML and CSS so that the user sees text that is easy to read.
The best thing to do when you are looking to build an Android-friendly website is to make sure that the code for the website can be modified easily. You will want the Android developer to ensure that changes to the layout and code can be made easily without having to spend a lot of time and money on still another custom web design.