I have been a fan of the tech website Ars Technica since 2000, and their website has always been the first thing I visited whenever I’ve played with a mobile phone. I remember reading articles on Ars in a text-only WAP browser on an old Sprint candy-bar phone back in 2001. Times have changed, and so has Ars Technica’s mobile site over the past year. Ars just released a new version of their mobile site that is more iPhone centric, includes advertising, and features a striking use of minimalist icons. Look at the difference between their first take in 2008 and the new flavor of the mobile Ars Technica frontpage.

2008 – Headlines, Ars masthead, and no icons

2009 – Headlines, Ars masthead, and new icons

The difference between the two may seem minimal, but from the standpoint of usability and graphic design the gap is wide. Designing useful icons and positioning text for small, content-centric mobile devices is becoming essential in the web content industry. Other tech websites like Reddit and Gizmodo both have custom mobile sites (click to see their mobile versions). There are even ad dollars to support these specialized websites with custom ads, Ars Technica has IBM as a mobile sponsor, and Quattro Wireless is dedicated to providing Gizmodo mobile advertising.

As the use of smartphones with web capability increases, look out for a greater focus on mobile websites in the future.