HTML & XHTML: The Definitive Guide, 6th Edition

Effective Mobile Web Design

There is no secret to creating effective mobile content. In fact, the advice we've been giving throughout this book applies to mobile devices just like it does for their larger desktop cousins: know your audience, know their needs, and know their browsing environment. With that said, the mobile browsing experience is different enough from the desktop that we'd be remiss if we did not offer some specific hints to make your web content look and act great.

With the popularity of mobile web access mushrooming, there is an abundance of mobile web design advice, good and bad. In the following sections, we'll offer up our favorite bits of guidance, based upon personal experience and many visits to many bad mobile sites.

Understand Your User

People turn to a mobile browser for different reasons than when they access the Web from the desktop or laptop. Most users are not seeking an extended perusal of some deep, thought-provoking dissertation, nor are they looking to apply for their next home mortgage. Instead, they most often need small bits of data delivered quickly: news headlines, weather information, flight information, sports scores, and the like. Browsers have become the interface to many other networked devices, too, so a mobile browser can have commercial and industrial applications. They won't be looking to download large pictures or a feature-length movie. They may want to receive driving directions, to obtain a price check, to buy tickets to a movie ...