Guide to optimize content of your blog for mobile devices

A few days ago we wrote an article on the Mobile SEO, however, today during revision of our posts we found it is incomplete and therefore we are taking you deeper into the knowledge of referencing a mobile website. However, the you might read that article too, as it is complementary to that post.

After the launch of Apple’s iPhone, it has indeed brought done a real boost to the smartphone market, followed and surpassed in many ways by Android and to some extent iPad, with more and more users nowadays browse the web via mobile devices. It is therefore essential to create suitable sites for these supports navigation in not losing sight that this is a first user, i.e. it is essential to deliver a site that could very easily loaded in every mobile devices and browsers.

The basics for creating a mobile device friendly website:

• Detection of user-agent; like Nokia smartphones which uses Symbian OS, iPhone ans iPad devices, Android etc.
• Markup language suitable for the target blog market (for example our is Global)
• Removal of CSS and Javascript
• Reducing loading time
• Creating a Mobile XML Sitemap
• Providing a page width suitable for small screens (although they continue to grow)
• Use of image formats those are standard (although PNG is convenient for transparent, choose the GIF or JPEG)
• If your pages are decorated with CSS to add style, it will internalize the page
• Avoid automatic redirects and the refreshments of your pages
• Although shelved for a long time, some still use it. It’s time to stop using frames
• Same for popups, which are hardly popular on many sites
• Do not forget to give an announcement if your website requires Flash plugin in order read

The list goes on and far to be completed but taking into account these points, the mobile site will already have a lot of potential for mobile devices. We must not lose sight of a surfer does not read the same on a desktop monitor on the small screen of his mobile. It begs the question of content: what is the user trying to really know all the details of your content or does he want access to critical information?

Navigation and playback on mobile are much less comfortable, creating a mobile site does not just happen by optimizing only technical sides but also a care is needed for optimizing for a better navigation and use. Choose a content summary / excerpt therefore, which will easily be accessible and suitable for mobile devices.
The elements of a mobile site optimization are the same as a traditional site, however we must again take into account the size of the screens. Indeed, it is well known that while writing on the web, short length is preferred, it will redouble its efforts to mobile sites as a title too long on such a small screen means nothing.

Last thing: create a mobile site on a sub-domain rather than a new domain. Unfortunately it creates mobile sites without there being any standard version, in which case you need to buy a domain name. Remember that typing on a keyboard is very easy as in contrast to typing a URL on your smartphone. So choose a short URL, and easy to remember, but you already knew that!

WordPress Plugins for rendering a webpage for mobile devices

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Fortunately, there are many plugins available for WordPress to make the things easier. Two must mentionable plugins are WP ViewMobile which works great for Nokia Mobile Phones, Android and many more devices. This website uses WP ViewMobile particularly for Nokia Symbian (S60 V2, V3, V5) smartphones. This is how the body and footer of this website’s home page appears on Nokia N73 ME (Symbian S60V3):

But, it does not have much features to set, it is good for Nokia mobile devices. We use WP Touch for iPad and iPhone. It has tons of features to set; you can customize the skin, icons, supports touch, it gives alert which WordPress plugins will not work. It has two versions: free with limited functions and one time paid for WP Touch pro version. You can use child themes too. Moreover it allows to add Google Adsense code. The paid version is no doubt a better option for Websites or blog sites with some income and needs branding. Here is how footer of this website’s Home Page appears on iPod Touch: