If your laptop or desktop screen is the size of a man’s handkerchief then your mobile phone screen is not even a quarter of a woman’s handkerchief. So how do you build a mobile site to display content for being read on a mobile screen?
Tip 1
Keep your home page clean, and light. This means that the home page displays only story links. Don’t place images, graphics or advertisement files on the home page. Remember, this is the page where the mobile phone user arrives. It should therefore load quickly, and should be easy to read.
Tip 2
Limit the number of stories to five. No section should carry more than five stories. Remember, it is not easy for a mobile phone user to scroll. The goal should be to display few stories, but your best stories.
Tip 3
The mobile phone browser cannot open multiple windows. So, make sure that every section has a Back to Home page link. Also, make sure that all section story links are displayed at the end of the story. Empower the user to navigate through your mobile site quickly, and easily.
Tip 4
The section links should be placed either on top of the page or at the bottom. They should appear on all pages to make it easy for the mobile phone user to navigate the site. Also, limit the number of sections to five. Don’t overload your subscriber.
Tip 5
Don’t place advertisements in the middle of the story. You should also avoid placing advertisements beneath the headline. The best place to run an ad is at the end of the story.
Tip 6
Keep the mobile stories short. Don’t let your writers publish reports that are more than 200 words. Also insist that your writers learn to write reports that use short sentences and short words.
Tip 7
Today most Indian media sites shovel print and wire stories on their mobile sites. Place a ban on such activity. Insist that every story has to be rewritten for the mobile phone user. It is a different medium, and its needs are different.