With sales of mobile devices on the rise, it is no wonder that use of programming languages--like HTML5--designed to be compatible with these devices are becoming more popular. One of the biggest and most notable strengths of HTML5 is its ability to embed movies directly into code, eliminating the need for third party software like Flash, which is not compatible with Apple products.
In 2010 Steve Jobs concluded that "Flash is no longer necessary to watch video or consume any kind of web content" and that "new open standards created in the mobile era, such as HTML5, will win." As it turns out, the ever forward-thinking Jobs may have been right. As the popularity of Flash wanes, HTML5 is ready to subsume its place
Now that big names like Twitter and Pandora have embraced HTML5, other companies are falling in line. According to ABI research, more than 2.1 billion mobile devices will include a browser capable of reading HTML5 by 2016. This means that websites relying on Flash will be missing out on this crucial mobile market. Although many older browsers do not support this new coding language, some predict that HMTL5 will become standard by 2014. Many new browsers have already jumped on the HTML5 bandwagon and support elements of the language. Even though HTML5 might not be a standard for a few years, the most forward thinking websites will soon be taking advantage of this new language in order to fully capitalize on the ever-expanding mobile market.
How can your company begin to make the switch? Your first step should be to switch your doctype. Switching to the standard HTML5 doctype, <!DOCTYPE html>, will not break any of your existing HTML4 code, but will allow you to start taking advantage of HTML5's new features without sacrificing viewers that use older browsers. If your user's browser is incomptible with HTML5 it will automatically revert to HTML4.
Once your doctype is changed, you can begin to integrate new HTML5 elements into your website. For example, using updated tags like <nav>, <header>, <footer>, and <article> will create block segmentation and allow you define markup in terms these content groupings. Other elements like <figcaption> allow you to directly associate images with their captions. <Hgroup> allows you to group headers and the attribute contenteditable allows you to make a segment of text editable by the user. HTML5 also features the ability to render audio directly without having to rely on a third party plugin and many other new and exciting improvements to HTML4.
As businesses focus on adapting their websites for mobile compatibility, HTML5 is gaining ground. Ready to make the switch? Contact AndPlus for more information about HTML5 and other innovative solutions for your business' standard and mobile website needs.