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32 Taking Your Website Mobile COVER STORY
T e obvious truth is that more users access websites from far more devices, using diff erent browsers, than we could have ever imagined. T e fact that a monitor can be replaced by a four-inch screen means developers need to plan accordingly. As more buyers are purchasing smartphones, which, unlike traditional mobile devices, are able to replicate a desktop browser, it has become necessary to render content to fi t the smaller screen. According to a study commissioned by Google and conducted by independent market research fi rm Ipsos OTX, 79 percent of smartphone own- ers use their phones to help with shopping, whether to compare prices, fi nd product information, or locate a retailer; 74 percent use them to make a purchase, and 70 percent use them while in-store. And while only 43 percent of U.S. mobile phones are smartphones,
79% of smartphone
the number increases dramatically for younger users, as 62 percent of adults between the ages of 25 and 34 own smartphones, with numbers increasing every month. Not only are users on mobile browsers, they are on diff erent operating systems. A Nielsen study indi- cates that 40 percent have Android phones, 28 percent iPhones and 19 percent Blackberrys. T is means that a one-size-fi ts-all approach is not ideal in today’s mobile environment. Flash elements may look good on a PC’s web browser, but because they do not display on Apple products, iPhone and iPad users will be leſt with an empty screen.
Because content ne ent needs to be opt
for mobile users, more com- panies are recogninizing theg th need for a dedicated strat egy. T is may or may not include developining a site
ated strat- may not
separate mobile site. Jacob Gube, writinting om,
on
Mashable.com notes, “If you cancan
s to be optimize zed
owners use their phones to help with shopping.
install a tool like Google Analytics on your site your- self, you’ll be able to use these tools. T ese tools work by detecting the user agent of your site visitors, which is just fancy talk for fi nding out whether a visitor is using a regular web browser or a mobile web browser. If the user agent is a mobile browser, users are redirected to your website’s mobile version. T e common practice is to assign the mobile version of your site with a sub-domain such as
m.yourwebsite.com. In this manner, your site traffi c is forked into two segments, giving all of your site visitors an optimal browsing experience.” Using Google Analytics also
allows you to see the breakdown of user activity on the site. T rough the Mobile Devices tab, you can see which mobile operating system visitors are coming from (Android, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Blackberry, etc.), number of pages per visit,
average time on the site, percent of new visits, and bounce rate, which gives a bet er understanding of the website’s audience. If your company does not have a dedicated mobile site, it is necessary to check how the site will look on mobile devices. Sites such as iPad Peek, which shows how a site is orientated on an iPad, and MobiReady, which shows how mobile compliant and accessible the site is, are good tools to see how the site looks and operates on mobile devices. Creating a good-looking mobile site begins with optimizing for the smaller screen. Utilizing single col- umn layouts is v
umn layouts is vital, so users can simpl mply scroll down
without having to go side-to-side to see a of t e co
allll of the content. In a. In ddition, it is iimpor an o remem
out tt the benefi t of a mouse, mobile webs tes requ re
that can easily be pre fi nger nger tap. T e goa and m bi e s es a Adeskto
websiites require large but ons that can e
areas. A des top site can have a l
y be p ssed using a e go ls for desktop
and mobille sittes also diff er in key are
a liit le le more pizzazz, but Continued On 36
34 JJanuar 2012 anuary 2012
mportant t to remember that with- ou he bene t of a
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