Harness Technology

Every web site has different requirements. From the underlying code to the overall design, all the intricate workings of a web site are deserving of consideration for what is used and how they are implemented. For some, all that is needed are a set of static pages containing basic concepts of a service provider. For others, fancy graphics and animation are of utmost importance.

As a web designer and developer, it is my job to provide my clients with the best solutions based on the needs of their web site. That's why they hired me, right? But it is not always a cut-and-dried solution; the site's visitors are the biggest factor in determining what technologies are used to build a web site and how it is designed. To complicate things, various types of features and the code used therein are not readily compatible with many visitors.

Case-in-point: the new Apple iPad. It is a nifty device that fits in a category somewhere between a smartphone and a netbook computer. However, Apple has made it perfectly clear that Adobe Flash will not be supported on the iPad. Many web sites use Flash these days but let's face it -- those sites are alienating people who prefer to use Apple's mobile devices. You might say, "Well, that is Apple's problem for not supporting Flash." However, millions of people use iPads every single day and if you are using Flash, they are missing something on your web site. Now imagine if your web site was built using Flash for navigation.

So what is the solution?

It is my belief that we should try to accommodate as many potential customers as possible, within reason. Sure, we probably don't want to spend a lot of time making our site compatible with the Commodore 64. But we do want to keep a close eye on relatively new technologies and what devices, operating systems, browsers, etc. are being used to view our web sites. The incredible popularity of certain devices by the general population (such as the iPad) proves that we need to be sympathetic to the choices of those visitors, even if we disagree with the manufacturer.

There are a couple of ways to go about this. One is to implement technologies and strategies into our web sites that is compatible across a large spectrum of popular devices. This is probably the simplest solution. Another possibility is to provide different "versions" of your web site that cater to specific devices or device categories. As you might guess, the second option is going to be more costly, but possibly unavoidable, depending on what your site is attempting to accomplish.

You may have noticed that most of the sites I've built do not contain Flash. It gives me the peace of mind that everyone can view the sites I build. It also increases the probability that my clients will acquire new customers by not feeling alienated or left out. Of course, I am happy to incorporate Flash when a client wants or needs it. I simply provide a little advice on the matter and proceed however they want me to proceed.