“Apps” are today’s buzzword, with everyone from Whole Foods to Facebook and even your local neighborhood Realtor asking you to download their mobile app for your iPhone, Blackberry, and Droid. With all this talk about apps, what is happening with mobile websites?
A mobile website is not a downloadable app, but rather a very abbreviated version of your actual website on a mobile domain. It usually looks like m.your-domain.com. These mobile websites are designed specifically for mobile smartphones like Blackberry, Droid, or iPhone users who prefer not to download more apps.
Why should you build and publish a mobile domain? The simple reason is that you want your online presence to be accessible to anyone at any time. Your small business website may have elements like Flash, Java, and large photos or images that may not be interpreted well by a mobile browser. By designing a mobile website with the following elements in mind, you can keep your website at your visitors’ fingertips, no matter what device they are using.
Percentage Screen Size
Your m.domain.com website should be able to load onto any mobile browser from any mobile device. That includes smaller screens like Blackberries or any other smaller mobile phone with web access. Other devices like the iPhone or Droid have larger screens and can even be turned horizontal, while devices like the iPad can use up a lot of real estate.
To accommodate all these varying screens, be sure your mobile website does not use a fixed pixel width, but rather a percentage.
Easy Navigation
With a much more concise website, you should have fewer links on each page. Your main mobile web page can contain a larger selection of links to other web areas. However, all your other mobile web sections should have not more than three links, as well as a link back to the main page.
Brief Content
With very little browser real estate to play with, you must make every word count. Your text should be very brief on each page.
In addition, with mobile sites, avoid images. If you must, use very small and compressed graphics.
Quick Links
Make your links count with bigger font sizes. Also, use drop down menus as links so mobile users can better pick their navigation without using all that precious screen space.
With more and more people using their smartphones to access the internet, a mobile website ensures that your company is accessible from anywhere.
