Why Businesses Large or Small need to adopt HTML5 for their websites
Why, you ask? Well there are lots of reasons and this blog’s aim is to educate businesses on the practical reasons as well as the strategic need to adopt HTML5. If you are an IT savvy person and know all about HTML5, then this blog is just a waste of your precious time. On the other hand, if you are a business owner this blog could be of great value to you. I’ll start with a primer for you non-techies.
What is HTML5?
HTML5 is the updated version of the code (computer language) used in creating websites. This updated version is browser-based. HTML5 it can make your website’s content much more interactive and accessible. Said differently, HTML5 is the next version of HTML web design language and it comes with numerous related advances in web technology.
What is a Browser?
A browser is a program with a graphical user interface/the presentation mode, for displaying website content. Google Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer are the most widely used browsers today.
From a business perspective, there are many valuable features. HTML5 is being designed to integrate multimedia, e.g., videos, images, graphics, to have app-like usability, to be mobile friendly and to enable dynamic content.
HTML5 has been around for several years now, but it’s finally approaching the point where the standards are all agreed and finalized. It’s been about 3 years since web developers and designers were given the all clear to start using HTML5 on their websites and web-apps.
The W3C has revised its Recommendation Plan for HTML 5.0 in the fourth quarter of 2014 and an HTML 5.1 for the fourth quarter of 2016. So, now is the time if you want to optimize the benefits and minimize the risks in adopting HTML5.
At the end of 2016, in a new release, HTML5.1 will implement more features and those features that are considered unstable in HTML5 will be corrected. It is assumed that new releases of HTML5 will be introduced every 2 years according to W3C’s cycle trends. (W3C is the World Wide Web Consortium, the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web.)
Features of HTML5 from a business perspective
Browser Compatibility
A browser is a program used to navigate the World Wide Web, e.g., Google Chrome, Internet Explorer. HTML5 is compatible with most or all browsers whereas we web developers have to account for each browser’s differences when we develop and especially test websites. There is a good possibility that your HTML4 site may loose support on certain browsers. But the developers of HTML5 are doing their best to ensure browsers can handle HTML4. Nonetheless when your potential customer visits your website and then your HTML5-competitor’s site chances are they’ll get frustrated and buy from your competitor. Because the competitors website will be richer in content, usability and visuals. And because of this your competitors will increase their market share, which will enable them to lower their prices!
HTML5 is being built to make things easier and more cross browser friendly so in those older Internet Explorer browsers that do not understand HTML5 we can just add a small change that will bypass dated browser problems.
To find out if your users’ preferred browsers are HTML5 compatible visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_web_browsers. This wiki has been updated on a regular basis.
Speed
Inherently, HTML5-based websites will load and run faster than HTML4. The amount of bytes (machine language for information) is reduced, therefore making the page load faster and more efficiently.
Server Capacity
Another reason for HTML5’s speed feature involves server capacity. In other words HTML5 will not be as taxing to website servers/computers as HTML4 HTML5 has a local storage feature. I’ll spare you the technical reasons but the results for businesses are better security
, performance and decreased data storage. In summary, the server capacity features most liked by business owners is that user information is easier to obtain, takes up less space on the server and has the ability of your website to remember the last time the user accessed your site… just to name a few.
Better and Easier SEO
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. An SEO expert like BITS can “optimize” your website both internally and externally to cause search engines to value your website more and rank it higher in the search results than it does similar websites. Said another way, SEO is a major tool to drive traffic to your website.
Search Engines identify the relevant terms on your website when they evaluate the order in which the search results will be presented. Because the structure of software development will be clearer and because HTML5 allows for categorizing content better, search engines can identify relevant search results much more effectively and efficiently. This means potential customers will find you quickly.
Mobile use
Have you heard the term “Responsive” when applied to websites? Another big feature of HTML5 is enabling mobile use of your website, i.e. make it “responsive.” Businesses can start having their IT folks removing the links from their websites to the back-end systems. This will increase the website compatibility with HTML5 but still allow for integration with back office systems such as order fulfillment for a retailer’s eCommerce website.
A native application (native app) is an application program that has been developed for use on a particular platform or device, e.g., the iphone or a Samsung notebook. HTML5 will make your website independent and take the place of a native app. There has been a big debate among web developers between developing for native apps versus adopting HTML5, which is device-independent. In both BITS opinion and that of others who actually benchmarked these two solutions, HTML5 is the big winner in cross-platform deployment costs, available programming expertise, and update speed and distribution control. Distribution control relates to getting your content to your user community without the need for a 3rd party service or extra steps to distribute your website’s mobile version, thereby giving you, the business complete control over your content.
Multimedia
As mentioned earlier, HTML5 is being designed to integrate multimedia, e.g., videos, images, graphics and dynamic content. Getting multimedia correctly installed has always been time consuming and difficult for developers and costly for business owners. Multimedia will be much easier to install on websites and will play faster and more correctly with HTML5.
Currently, the task of displaying video generally invokes Flash player. Flash is a browser “plug-in”. A plug-in is a software component that adds a specific feature (YouTube video) to an existing software application (your website. With Flash, Adobe has really pushed boundaries on displaying video on the Web. Nonetheless, it cannot be good for one vendor (Adobe) to control such a ubiquitous delivery mechanism endlessly. HTML5 will allow your browser to play video without Flash or another third-party tool. This means your users no longer need to upload Flash before they view videos on your website. YouTube has offered a HTML5 version of its videos for a long time. This will definitely not go away.
Ease of Use and Interaction
For your potential customers/website users:
Small and mid-size businesses could lose their intended target audience’s attention when they discover your competitor’s website is easier to find, easier and faster to use not to mention more attractive and engaging than yours.
For you:
HTML5 is eliminating the need for Flash and Silverlight. These are time-consuming third party software solutions for running videos. Speaking of Flash, according to Gartner, the world’s leading information technology research and advisory company. “Flash is likely to fade out over time and businesses need to prepare for that. Flash could be suitable only to develop applications for old browsers”.
Concerning Interaction, your website will respond to the user faster and will allow him or her to enjoy/interact with your content instead of just look at it. Unbelievable animations and fantastic transitions, which offer a visually rich and interactive experience for the user, are available in HTML5. Take, for example The Mustache Game, http://www.themustachegame.tv/. This website takes full advantage of HTML5.
No more truncation
It is no wonder publishers were the first to adopt HTML5 along with high tech businesses. An HTML4 page might truncate a news column or a bog. HTML5 resizes and repositions the news or long blog content to fit, the responsive design of your website. Websites vary greatly in page dimensions and, Yes, HTML5 automatically detects the page dimensions. Again, this is an example ease of use.
Saving IT consulting fees
HTML5 is making software development less time consuming meaning you will spend less of your money on hiring a software developer every time you need a change to content on your website.
The compatibility feature of HTML5 will also add to savings on developer’s fees. The developer does not have to create different “code” for each browser’s differences.
HTML5 will also enable verification of data entry. Again, less work for the developer. What is really cool is that HTML5 will eventually enable the user’s iphone calendar to submit a date on a webpage…WOW.
Another way HTML5 will save the businesses consulting fees and a Webmaster’s time concerns multimedia. Audio and Video can be incorporated in the website with extreme ease. The multimedia will also load faster.
Gaming
OK, most of you small business owners could care less that HTML5 will provide a mobile friendly way to develop graphic-superior interactive games, but your kids will love this feature!
Pride
Your pride on keeping up with the latest technologies is not a reason to migrate to HTML5. But it does make one feel better.
Caveats
HTML5 really does not have any strong drawbacks. Nevertheless, we would be remiss if we did not mention a one time cost for adopting HTML5. The architecture of applications will have to be restructured to incorporate HTML5 as it matures in the next 2-4 years unless you have no or very few back-office systems.
How to Prepare for HTML5
Before considering converting to HTML5, Gartner advises businesses to invest in analytics technology to help them understand how customers are using web applications, and what areas they find challenging.
Over 75% of web developers believe HTML5 is happening now and is important to their jobs. Over 30% of those people say the deadline for HTML5 changes will occur this year. They are absolutely correct.
Should Businesses re-build their Websites or redesign for HTML5?
If you are happy with your current website and are reaching your business goals through your web presence, then updating the site is probably more cost effective.
If the business needs a new website then it should certainly be created with HTML5. A new version of HTML’s development partner, CSS is accommodating the HTML5 changes with its own new generation, CSS3. When HTML5 is layered with CSS3 you will witness a vastly improved website.
Currently businesses can use parts of HTML5 that are mature, so long as they consider whether those bits of HTML5 are supported by the browsers their clients are using.
Again, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_web_browsers.
Often businesses can make significant website improvements by redesigning the site without even introducing new technology. BITS recommends that businesses place as much importance on website design as introducing new technologies such as HTML5 and CSS3.
Timing
If you have an established website, I agree with most experts that making the switch now is the prudent thing to do. Why not take advantage of enhanced speed, far better interactivity, use of new technologies and a crisper looking website?
With the exception of small businesses with no or few back-office systems (billing, order fulfillment, etc), what businesses must absolutely do now is to restructure their applications architecture. Applications Architecture refers to the science and art of ensuring the collection of business applications being used by a business are scalable, reliable available and manageable. This will enable the business to take advantage of HTML5 gradually as it matures.
Businesses should also do a bit of “business analytics”. Do you know which browsers your audience is using? If you do not have this information now you may want to change your Webmaster or web services business. BITS provides its clients with SEO and other internet marketing solutions and measures against YOUR business goals. You should know how your clients are coming to you and what they do when they are there. This is imperative.
If you are a forward thinking person, you may be saying, “If HTML5 is not completely created, will my website blow up if it has HTML5 code?” That is a great question and, thankfully, the answer is “No.” HTML5 changes will not affect already implemented HTML5 sites. Updates will be implemented under the radar.
When you identify the problem areas for your users you can design your new applications architecture. For the small business, however, most of these do not apply because its website is not integrated with its billing and payment systems, if it even has them. Large or small eCommerce , on the other hand, should be following large business advice here, as they most likely already have an order fulfillment and receivables software integrated with their website.
If you do not have a website or you are thinking of improving your website, adopting HTML5 code is a great idea. Why not take advantage of new technologies now?
Since 2012 the W3C recommended incorporating HTML5 by the end of this year (2014). All features of HTML5 for web development that are stable and implemented in multiple browsers will be finalized this year.
One last word on why to adopt HTML5 now…Apple is pushing it and Adobe is already building new development products around HTML5.
What happens if you do nothing?
“If you do nothing, then you will be at a disadvantage with regard to competitors who are moving forward with new technologies,” says analyst Ray Valdes, in an interview with Computer Weekly. That said, If you choose to do nothing your website will not blow up.
Finally, businesses have no excuses not to adopt HTML5 now. It is clearly beneficial for your web presence. Check out 10 of the top HTML5 websites today http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/best-html5-websites.
