Unless you have been living in a cave somewhere, the odds are good that you have seen more and more people flipping through pages on iPads, Android tablets and of course all manner of smart phones (not to mention the newer Windows 8 tablets which have just started to hit the streets). Now the thing is, while these devices are all capable of accessing the Internet, including viewing ordinary websites, they often do a bad job with such sites.
The Smaller the Screen, the More Problematic It Is
Now on the 10 inch screen of an iPad, it is possible to see a regular website and navigate it fairly well (though there are some issues involved in that as well which we’ll get to in a moment). However, many people browse sites on their phones or on the smaller 7 inch screen of an iPad mini or an Android tablet. These screens inevitably involve a great deal of scrolling back and forth in order to read whatever it is that you have on your site. This means that you are less likely to get your customers to purchase your products because they don’t want to scroll back and forth.
Even Mobile Friendly Versions Are Not Always the Answer
Now if you happen to be running a WordPress powered website, you might assume that having a theme which is mobile aware is the answer. It often isn’t. The problem is that while your mobile aware theme may render your content in a manner which makes it easier to read on a mobile device, it will also often strip away your advertising, meaning that while customers may be able to visit your site, they won’t see the ads and this will effectively defeat the purpose of having a site.
Mobile Advertising
The best solution then is to arrange for custom tailored material which includes mobile aware advertising which your customers will be able to see and thus purchase from. You can either purchase specialized WordPress plugins which provide the extra functionality or have your website designer include that in the design of your site.
By the Way, Even an iPad Is Not the Answer
I mentioned above that while an iPad (or for that matter the new Surface tablet) would provide a better experience in viewing a website, these are not necessarily the answer either. The reason is simple – most desktop websites are designed to be viewed using a mouse and a keyboard. Think about how a link looks on a standard website. They are underlines and they are not necessarily in any kind of a “button” format. These are fine when you use a mouse to hover over them. However, when you have a touch screen and need to press the link using the touch screen, you end up with a situation where the regular link doesn’t work so well because it’s small and hard to click. When you set up a mobile aware version of your site, often, the links get translated into buttons which are easier to select and which makes it more likely that your customers will make purchases from you.