Jan 17Your business needs to support iPhone, but that doesn’t mean just apps
Apple’s iPhone started a mobile revolution the last couple years, and many businesses are realizing mobile users are a visitor group they need to pay attention to. As mobile devices improve, so does the number of users who will do more and more of their web browsing through their device. There are two ways you can target this growing user group: apps and mobile web sites.
Apps
An app is a small, custom application users install to have quick access to functionality they want to use often. So, if you like using Kayak.com to compare ticket prices, you can install its app to quickly to check prices while on the go. Same goes for Bank of America, eBay, Fandango, and many many more.
Mobile Web Sites
A mobile version of your web site is where you build a custom site that only shows up when a person is using a mobile device to browse your site. These custom versions are styled to better fit the mobile displays with larger text, larger buttons, simpler layout, etc. The goal is to identity what tasks the visitor might be trying to accomplish. For example, they might look for your phone number, get the time of an event, or seek the address of a store.
Don’t Ignore Mobile
Whether you build a custom app or create a mobile version of your site, the important thing is not to ignore this user group. While a mobile app is not for every business, there are really only a few cases where a mobile version would not be necessary. Consider what your users might be trying to accomplish by visiting your site while on the go, and start your mobile site around presenting that information easily and quickly.
