Search Info On BlackBerries
By Gary Klingsheim
As every teenager without a license or car knows, if you're not mobile, you're not going anywhere. This self-evident truth applies itself on a very practical level to websites. In today's incredibly competitive economy, your business needs every edge it can get, and mobile provides that edge. In 2010, more than 70 percent of the world's population had mobile subscriptions, and mobile access to the internet is expected to outpace computers as the preferred gateway to the internet within the next three years. Designing a mobile-friendly website is not a nice extra to provide to your few mobile visitors: it is a must for 2011 and beyond. If your site is not mobile, visitors will move to ones that are.
In today's rough and tough economy, your business needs to be accessible to customers whenever and wherever. Numerous statistics back up this claim. In America, 25 percent of mobile web users don't even bother with a computer when searching the Internet. In India, 59 percent of people prefer to access the Internet with a mobile device, and in Egypt, the number exceeds 70 percent. Like it or not, the world is becoming a mobile entity. In countries where computer-based Internet connections aren't that reliable, mobile access is a forgone conclusion. Most people use mobile devices to access the Internet for:
-Banking purposes, such as payments and transfers.
-Services relating to location.
-Mobile search and browsing.
-Advertising.
-Listening to music.
-Music.
If you own a business that relies heavily on some of these services (such as product vendors or banks), then it is necessary for you to be mobile. But while you might understand the importance of being mobile, you might not know exactly how to create a mobile-friendly website. Here's some helpful information to get you started.
Content and layout.
In a typical non-mobile website, you have an incredible amount of freedom in terms of your layout, content management, and special effects. With Flash, for instance, you can add high-quality videos and graphic content to your website. The problem is that iPhones don't support Flash, and other mobile devices aren't equipped to handle the sensory overload of advanced graphics. The mobile user is typically looking for information, not presentation. If, for instance, a user is accessing his bank account to transfer money, he doesn't care about the nice graphics. He wants easy access to his account.
Mobilizing your site involves targeting your content. Display the content users came for and forget the extras. This is important because bandwidth is an issue, and your site should be easy to load and access. Make sure your pages:
-Crisp, clean and clear content.
-Full of text and low on graphics.
-Quick access to pertinent information.
-Large content for touchscreen users, especially for links.
Mobile-only version. If you want Flash and other flashy items on your non-mobile website, consider designing a mobile-only version. This is important if your regular site depends heavily on graphics, video, and audio elements. This is what Yahoo does: on their non-mobile site, they offer images, video, links, ads, daily deals, and other content. On a mobile device, this would be cluttered, small, and hard to navigate. Yahoo scales back its mobile version and offers users easily accessed material in a clean layout. A mobile-only version does not have to be austere or boring; it just has to be targeted and focused on what users want.
Mobile apps. Your site can offer mobile apps to users that expand its functionality. Amazon, for instance, offers a range of apps that allow iPhone users to access Kindle books or shop. This creates a better, more streamlined experience for your users. FedEx, Macy's Dell, and a host of other companies do the same, and it can be a good long-term move in your business strategy.
Testing. Not every mobile device is the same; just taking a walk through an electronics store shows us how diverse devices, screens, and capabilities are. Will your mobile site work on an iPhone? What about an Android or Blackberry? Does it work with Opera, Mozilla, and Windows? Use online testing and emulation tools to test your mobile sites before launching them. This can help you avoid access problems in the future.
As a busy business owner, the last thing you want to add on your plate is creating a mobile-friendly website. But if you don't, you could end up falling behind and getting lost in the expanding mobile Internet market. The success of any business relies on the ability to evolve and keep up with the changing times in order to meet customer demands. Well times are changing yet again, and mobilization is the trend of the season.
In today's rough and tough economy, your business needs to be accessible to customers whenever and wherever. Numerous statistics back up this claim. In America, 25 percent of mobile web users don't even bother with a computer when searching the Internet. In India, 59 percent of people prefer to access the Internet with a mobile device, and in Egypt, the number exceeds 70 percent. Like it or not, the world is becoming a mobile entity. In countries where computer-based Internet connections aren't that reliable, mobile access is a forgone conclusion. Most people use mobile devices to access the Internet for:
-Banking purposes, such as payments and transfers.
-Services relating to location.
-Mobile search and browsing.
-Advertising.
-Listening to music.
-Music.
If you own a business that relies heavily on some of these services (such as product vendors or banks), then it is necessary for you to be mobile. But while you might understand the importance of being mobile, you might not know exactly how to create a mobile-friendly website. Here's some helpful information to get you started.
Content and layout.
In a typical non-mobile website, you have an incredible amount of freedom in terms of your layout, content management, and special effects. With Flash, for instance, you can add high-quality videos and graphic content to your website. The problem is that iPhones don't support Flash, and other mobile devices aren't equipped to handle the sensory overload of advanced graphics. The mobile user is typically looking for information, not presentation. If, for instance, a user is accessing his bank account to transfer money, he doesn't care about the nice graphics. He wants easy access to his account.
Mobilizing your site involves targeting your content. Display the content users came for and forget the extras. This is important because bandwidth is an issue, and your site should be easy to load and access. Make sure your pages:
-Crisp, clean and clear content.
-Full of text and low on graphics.
-Quick access to pertinent information.
-Large content for touchscreen users, especially for links.
Mobile-only version. If you want Flash and other flashy items on your non-mobile website, consider designing a mobile-only version. This is important if your regular site depends heavily on graphics, video, and audio elements. This is what Yahoo does: on their non-mobile site, they offer images, video, links, ads, daily deals, and other content. On a mobile device, this would be cluttered, small, and hard to navigate. Yahoo scales back its mobile version and offers users easily accessed material in a clean layout. A mobile-only version does not have to be austere or boring; it just has to be targeted and focused on what users want.
Mobile apps. Your site can offer mobile apps to users that expand its functionality. Amazon, for instance, offers a range of apps that allow iPhone users to access Kindle books or shop. This creates a better, more streamlined experience for your users. FedEx, Macy's Dell, and a host of other companies do the same, and it can be a good long-term move in your business strategy.
Testing. Not every mobile device is the same; just taking a walk through an electronics store shows us how diverse devices, screens, and capabilities are. Will your mobile site work on an iPhone? What about an Android or Blackberry? Does it work with Opera, Mozilla, and Windows? Use online testing and emulation tools to test your mobile sites before launching them. This can help you avoid access problems in the future.
As a busy business owner, the last thing you want to add on your plate is creating a mobile-friendly website. But if you don't, you could end up falling behind and getting lost in the expanding mobile Internet market. The success of any business relies on the ability to evolve and keep up with the changing times in order to meet customer demands. Well times are changing yet again, and mobilization is the trend of the season.
About the Author:
Moonrise Design offers custom web design services that helps businesses improve their web presence. Their services include social networking development, mobile web design, web application programming, and more.
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