The iPhone is an unbelievably functional and popular little gadget that is definitely taking strides towards making the web more mobile. Sure, other mobile devices are also popular and will certainly add to improved mobile web technology too (especially with the much anticipated Google Phone making its arrival), but this shouldn’t really make things much more complicated for optimizing sites for mobile. If it works for the iPhone’s built in web browser, chances are good it will work well with the browsers on other mobile devices as well.
To Clarify Things A Bit…
It’s important to discern that we’re talking about optimizing sites to be used with the iPhone’s web browser, not about creating custom app versions of sites to function exclusively with the closed system used by Apple. Granted, these apps can be taken advantage of to take optimization to the next level altogether, but they’re just not cross-functional (or accessible for all).
Don’t Use Flash!
This is extremely important when it comes to optimizing a site for the iPhone. The iPhone’s built in web browser currently does not display flash content at all. Whether or not this functionality will be offered in the future is not known, but it is common knowledge that sites that heavily rely on flash to display their content are not iPhone friendly currently.
Keep The File Sizes Down.
While the latest iPhone features speedy 3G capability, the truth of the matter is that most parts of the country still don’t offer true 3G service over their cellular networks. If you want visitors to have a positive experience on your site through their mobile device, it’s best to keep the extras to a minimum and keep the file sizes (such as images and graphics) to an absolute minimum also. This used to be common practice anyways, but as broadband is becoming more and more prolific, many web designers have been slipping from the practice.
Don’t Use Crazy Colors.
While it’s just not a reader-friendly practice regardless, using weird font/background color combinations is certainly a big no-no when it comes to designing a page for iPhone users. For best results across the board, keep it black and white: text black and backgrounds white.
Avoid Forms When Possible.
The practice of using complex forms for contact and other purposes has been increasing overall on the web. The forms can be a good way to keep the spam down, along with organizing and directing feedback from visitors to the right place. However, when it comes to the iPhone, typing lots of info into these forms is just not a user-friendly experience. Instead, try placing the phone number prominently – iPhone users can usually just tap that number with their finger to immediately place a call.
Basically, when it comes to optimizing sites for the iPhone, or any mobile platform for that matter, the best strategy is to keep things as simple as possible. And don’t forget to actually test the final design on the device it’s intended for.
George Chaney
President/CEO
SEO King, Inc.
