Mobile website design 'lacking usability'

More could be done to improve the usability of mobile websites, according to one expert.

Usability specialist Jakob Nielsen said in his latest Alertbox column that there are a number of major issues with mobile website design when it comes to offering a sound user experience.

These include slow page downloading, excessive scrolling, problems with JavaScript and rich media, and the use of large images and long pages, he commented.

Ideally, businesses should create two mobile-specific websites to overcome these problems, Mr Nielsen recommended - one site for low-end phones and another for more advanced smartphones.

However, as many organisations are unlikely to be able to undertake this much work, creating one mobile-specific website is also a good idea, he remarked.

"Don't rely on 'full-featured' browsers to display your main site, because doing so will cause endless usability problems. If your site has both a mobile design and a desktop design, serve the mobile version to all mobile users," the expert added.

A recent survey by Tellabs and The Nielsen Company found that four in ten European mobile users intend to make daily use of the mobile web within the next 12 months.

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