When creating a mobile site you need to keep in mind that there are multiple types of mobile phones being use and each will display the site differently. The best way to create your site is by customizing the site for devices whose web browser capabilities are considerably lower than newest phones such as the iphone, G3, among others.
To start creating a mobile site you will need to decide how many pages the site will consist of, and if these are to be any images. How much content are you going to include. Keep in mind that the information will be viewed on a small screen. All the content should be in small paragraphs and avoid placing to much information on the individual pages. If you plan on using pictures, which I would recommend that you avoid as much as possible, make sure that the images are small in size and will not take too much loading time. After all these important factors have been decided, you can start creating you mobile site.
When creating the template for your mobile site, make sure you use div tags instead of tables. This will allow more flexibility in the design and it will be easier to customize the site for different types of mobile phones. The best way to customize your mobile site is to have a script that will check the type of phone that is viewing the site. When doing this, you can customize individual style sheets that will use more or less images, styles, etc.
When your template is created, you should consider adding a page with dynamic content such as twits from Twitter or posts from a blog. This will give your mobile site a better SEO standing.
Mobile devices will continue to grow and improve their web browser capabilities and because of this, it is important to have a flexible design which can be customize to fit various types of devices.
More and more people are using mobile devices to access the internet. With the advent of the Blackberry, iPhone and iPod touch, surfing the web on the go has become better and easier. As technology improves and prices of these devices become even more affordable, there is no doubt that more people will be search the mobile web for information. The mobile web is extremely beneficial to search for store hours, price comparisons and other information that is needed when on the go.
I personally have noticed that when searching from a Blackberry or other phones that are internet ready, some websites do not even show up. Searching from an iPhone is a little better, but websites that are flash are still not compatible. You would make sure that your website can be accessed from any device.
A mobile website does not have to be a complete website with all of your information available. Create your mobile website to include the most relevant information for the traveling user. Here are a couple of examples of some mobile sites, giving only the info that someone on the go might need.
Movietickets.com offers information and online ticket sales for the latest movies. Their mobile site allows users to explore show times, get news and buy tickets. This is great for someone who is out and about and only needs the basic info. What time is the movie? Where is it playing? And, how can I get tickets so that I don’t have to stand in line? You can get all of that from their mobile website. Mobile.movietickets.com
Over the past weekend, I had to pick up some friends at one airport and my wife at another. Unfortunately for me, their plans were landing at the same time. Like most people, I was checking their flight status from home waiting to see which flight was delayed and who was going to land first. When the time came that I had to pick them up, I grabbed my iPhone. Waiting in the cell phone area, I was able to access AirTran’s iPhone ready website. This version was exactly what I needed. The options were limited so I didn’t have to do a lot of searching. They incorporated only the most important features of their website. It made my mobile searching experience easy. Below is a side by side comparison of the mobile website compared to their main website.
The important thing to remember when creating your mobile site to is incorporate the information that will benefit your user the most. For some sites, just having the phone number and an address will be sufficient, while others might need multiple store locations, and increased functionality.
There is no doubt that the number of mobile users is increasing, so you will want to make sure that your website is functional, no matter where they are searching from.
Google announced last week that advertisers can now display their text and image ads on the iPhone, G1 and other mobile devices with full internet browsers on Google Adwords.
In the past, mobile advertising has not been well-received because advertisers were required to create unique landing or mobile pages. With the dramatic rise in the popularity of mobile devices with full internet capabilities, such as iPhones, mobile advertising is on the cusp of exploding. According to an article on SearchEngineWatch.com, around 95% of all mobile searches are conducted on the iPhone. AdWords offers the option to run your ads at the campaign level, which means that you can create specific campaigns for mobile devices. This also means you can allocate a budget for mobile advertising, create custom or local targeting and view performance reporting that is unique to your mobile campaigns. Perhaps the most exciting dimension is the ability to tailor your ad copy solely for users on their mobile devices. The mobile user may also be closer to a decision making point in the buying cycle. For example, if a mobile user is looking for restaurants in Chicago, they are most likely deciding where to eat right then and there. Having a presence for that type of search is crucial because you can capture that potential customer almost immediately.
Don’t discount the power of a mobile advertising strategy. Having great ad copy and even a great promotion to get customers to your brick and mortar store are essential. It is also important to include an enticing call to action. Using my previous example of someone searching for restaurants in Chicago, you might want your ads to say “Get 10% off your entire check. Find out more now.” On your landing page, you can offer a promotional code word for mobile users to get their discount. The possibilities are endless. You just need to think outside the box, get creative and have some fun.
975 South Federal Highway, 2nd Floor
Boca Raton, FL 33432
800.787.0497
ph: 561.620.9682
fx: 561.620.9684
info@morevisibility.com
