Over the last decade, mobile web users have increased at a notable number. The requirements of a mobile device user and a desktop/laptop user are not the same. Naturally, attracting the huge number of portable device audience requires different search engine optimization for the websites.
An average monitor of a desktop/laptop has a resolution of 1024 pixels, where a mobile device (such as cellphone, iPhone, PDA) has a screen resolution of about 120-400 pixels only. Websites those can be easily viewed on a desktop computer becomes hard to browse over a mobile phone. Hence, the terms 'mobile friendly' and 'mobile optimized' are introduced. Mobile friendly websites and mobile optimized websites-these two terms does not point to the same thing. Now, what do they mean?
A mobile friendly website is one that is HTML based, does not contain graphics, multimedia, large images or anything that is not easily accessible and takes more loading time. However, it does not provide a user-friendly experience. As the resolution is different, the mobile web users need to scroll up and down, vertically,
horizontally, and needs to point and zoom in various areas.
It barely makes the site viewable to the mobile devices. That is where the need of 'mobile optimized' websites are felt. The experts at Skygate Media can help you with further information check out http://www.skygatemedia.com/mobile/.
Mobile optimized websites are specifically designed for smaller screens. A mobile optimized website does not require its visitors to zoom and scroll left or right every now and then. Required criteria of a website to be mobile optimized are:
• The layouts are kept simple, preferably in a single column. Basic color schemes should be used. Mobile sites are designed for maximum readability so that should be remembered. Margins and padding should not take more than the minimum.
• Contents are reduced in the mobile optimized version. They are better to be kept on the left. Only the features of topmost priority are included.
• Requirements of text entry, such as form posting are minimized, as it is very difficult to do it in a cell phone instead of a desktop.
• More than one version of a website can be made optimized specifically for touch screen users, general users, slow connection speed users etc.
• All animations, graphics or flash use should be skipped. These increase the loading time. A web user from a mobile phone standing in a crowded line might not be that patient.
• Associated and not-so-essential links should be placed on the bottom of the web design site.