Do You Need a Mobile Version of Your Site?

As mobile devices become more powerful and less expensive every day, the number of web users accessing sites via smartphones and tablets increases all the time. While most of the newer mobile devices offer web site rendering capabilities that rival those of a desktop computer; bandwidth, screen space, and processing power is often at a premium, so many site owners are creating specialized, low bandwidth mobile versions of their sites. This allows site visitors with mobile devices of all varieties to quickly and easily access their favorite pages from anywhere. But does your site need a dedicated mobile version, or will it suffice to have mobile users browse your website the same way as a desktop computer use would? The only completely honest answer is “it depends.”

To determine whether or not you need a specialized, mobile version of your site, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Does your current site display and/or function incorrectly on mobile devices?
2. Do users visit your site for the purpose of getting small pieces of current information in a rapid fashion?
3. Does your business have a storefront which receives a lot of foot traffic?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, a mobile version of your website would likely be of great benefit to your business. If you didn’t, a mobile version of your site might still be a great idea. Suppose you’re ready to move forward with making a mobile version of your website; what do you do next? Depending on the platform your site utilizes, the process can range from extremely easy to fairly intensive. Below we explore a few methods of creating a mobile version of your site, based on the platform you are currently using.

WordPress

WPtouch Pro is an amazing plugin which quickly and easily creates a mobile version of any existing WordPress site. It costs $39 CAD for a single site license. The plugin packs an unbelievable number of features, and allows a site owner to have an attractive, functional mobile version up in minutes. Most importantly, the plugin doesn’t interfere with a WordPress site’s main theme; to a non-mobile user, the site looks and performs exactly as it did prior to activating WPtouch Pro.

Joomla!

Mobile Joomla is a free extension for Joomla which instantly creates a mobile version of your existing Joomla site. While not as full-featured as WPtouch Pro, it is still an excellent component, and allows a Joomla site owner to have a mobile version up and running quickly and easily. Like WPtouch Pro, Mobile Joomla doesn’t interfere with the site’s main (desktop) template.

Static HTML

Creating a mobile site from an existing static HTML site is a task that can be approached from several directions, depending on your design and functionality goals. Free and commercial services exist which automatically convert an existing site into a mobile site, however thus far I have been unimpressed with the results. Someone with basic HTML knowledge could easily create a (static HTML) mobile version of a site, however it would need to be manually updated each time content changes were made to the main site. A custom-developed solution may be the optimal method; a web design/development firm (such as Regal Creative) could provide such a solution.

Adjusting Your Existing Site to be Mobile-Friendly

Perhaps you don’t want to create a mobile-specific version of your site. Instead, you’d just like to make sure your current site is usable on mobile devices. The only way to know for certain is to test your website on several different smartphones and tablets, however these three guidelines will give your site the best chances of performing well on mobile browsers:

1. Don’t Use Flash - While Flash can create dynamic and exciting web elements, it is not supported on several mobile devices, most notably the market-leading Apple iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch). HTML5 can be used in place of Flash as a modern, well-supported method of delivering multimedia content.
2. Use Standards-Compliant Code - The majority of newer mobile devices rely heavily on standards-compliant HTML and CSS. If you are using non-compliant methods, proprietary IE-specific code, for example, it is more likely your website will not display correctly on mobile browsers. If you are unable to test your site on a variety of mobile devices, try viewing it on your computer using the (standards-compliant) Firefox, Chrome and Safari browsers. If all these browsers display your site correctly, it is likely your site will look fine on mobile devices.
3. Optimize Images for File Size - Although keeping image file sizes down is a good idea for all web site owners, it becomes especially important when dealing with mobile browsers, as the bandwidth available to the visitor accessing via a mobile device is generally quite limited. To make sure your images are optimized for quick loading, always use the Save For Web option in Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Photoshop Elements when saving images for use on your website.

If you the owner of a website (whether it be a content management system or a static HTML site) and would like to create a mobile version of the site, contact Regal Creative. We can help you create a fast, attractive, and functional mobile site that your customers can visit anytime, from anywhere.