By: Steph Dlugon
A lot of companies have yet to factor a mobile strategy into their overall business plan. The start of any new initiative is usually the scariest and most difficult part. So, how do you get started incorporating mobile technologies into your game plan? And what should you consider before you spending time and money?
Of course right now apps are wildly popular. They’re powerful tools that make sense for most businesses. But before your company thinks about building an app, it should invest some time preparing its website and online materials to make them “mobile friendly.”
Here are some tips to help you get started:
Think about your user
Mobile users are looking at your site while on the move. They’ll want it to load fast and be able to interact with it easily.
Design elements
- Avoid Flash. It doesn’t run on the iPhone.
- Remember that not everyone has an unlimited data plan, so don’t include a million photos that will take a long time to load.
- Typing is more difficult on a mobile phone, so try to limit the amount of text input on your site.
- When it comes to scrolling, vertical is preferable to horizontal.
Mobile Emulators
Finally, think about using a mobile emulator when designing or tweaking your site. Mobile emulators allow you to get a good feel for what your site will look like on a variety of mobile devices.
Here’s a list of available emulators compiled from information found on klauskomenda.com and Mobiforge.com.
