Businesses need to design sites for tablets, expert says

While many businesses are adjusting their websites for the growing use of smarpthones, relatively few have yet considered optimizing web pages for tablet computers, relying instead on desktop versions or native apps.

But according to Igor Faletski, CEO of mobile web solutions provider Mobify, this will need to change as more consumers adopt tablet computers and expect the websites they visit to be optimized for the technology.

In an interview with technology news provider GigaOM, Faletski says he understands why companies would be hesitant to design their sites for tablets, noting that the task isn't easy. For example, many tablets do not support Flash®, so certain elements must be converted to HTML5. Also, tablet adoption is still limited in most markets, so it may not be worth the trouble or investment to update one's website for the new platform.

However, this mindset will not be applicable in the near future. A 2011 study from Adobe® Digital Marketing Insights finds that tablet users spend 54 percent more online than smartphone users and 21 percent more than desktop and laptop users. Businesses can give themselves a potentially huge advantage by targeting their websites at this new mobile platform.