Today, most of the websites are designed on Wordpress. The reason, it is easy to operate and design. But, that’s not it. If you think that simply by designing a user friendly Wordpress website would suffice your entire need, then you need to reconsider your thoughts. The number of mobile active users is constantly at rise, which means you need to make your Wordpress website compatible to mobile devices to reach them. While this might sound very technical to you, it isn’t that in reality. All you need to do is consider the mentioned ways, and you would be ready to go.
1. Using Mobile Friendly Themes
WordPress, certainly, keep tracks of the website design trends and thus have introduced mobile compatible website themes. Generally, we overlook this feature and go along with the one that suits us. However, considering the need to carter to the large mass that is hooked to their mobile phones, you need to select the theme that’s compatible with mobile devices.
You can select this option while you’re choosing the theme, which would help you save money by not hiring an expert for the same. But, in case, you don’t find something that you are looking for, you’re free to hire an expert who would happily assist you develop a mobile compatible website. Remember, hiring an expert would incur additional cost.
2. Using Plug-in
Apart from predefined list of themes, WordPress has an addition option – Plug-in. It is wise to opt for this option if the content of your website is more important than the design itself. If you’re looking for some of the most preferred plug-in, then here are few:
- WPTouch : This has two versions: Free and Premium. This plug-in allows you to let go your desktop theme and displays your content on a device-friendly theme.
- WordPress Mobile Pack : This can be considered as the advanced version of WPTouch. It gives you a chance to customize the visuals as per your choice. You can easily edit posts or create one.
- Jetpack : This is one of the most commonly used plugin that would provide you tools and options that Wordpress has. This allows you to use a clean, simple, and fast mobile theme.
- MobilePress : This free and simple plug-in gives you an option of different themes for different devices.
- WordPress Mobile Edition : This plug-in would show you interface that’s designed for mobile devices. With this, a visitor can see your website in their mobile with their device interface.
3. Reduce Elaborative Graphics
While viewing website on desktop, graphics looks appealing and interesting. While the same website, when viewed on the mobile, would irritate you due to graphics. Generally, we neglect the mobile viewers’ view point and add attractive graphics on our website.
It is suggested to reduce those graphics to an extent that when your website is viewed on the mobile, it loads quickly and looks attractive. The one, who runs an e-commerce website, should make a strong note of it. This would certainly increase your popularity amongst your users.
4. Right Choice Of Text
Like graphics, your choice of text also plays a vital role in making your WordPress website compatible to mobile devices. There is a long list of texts that you can choose for your website content. It is advised that you should also minimize your text to an extent that it fits well in the small screen devices, yet easily readable. A suggestion, once you’re deciding on website text, try to see how it would look on the mobile device. Perhaps, this would help you make a better judgment.
5. Building Mobile App
You can reach to the potential users or clients though mobile apps. Many companies are opting for mobile apps over mobile websites since former is more interactive and popular amongst masses. There are many iOS and Android app developers at various corners of the world who can help you develop an app that would meet your requirement. It is suggested that you get in touch with one of them and get yourself a mobile app.
6. Simple Design
Often we want to make our website attractive and look for themes that are more complex and full of colors, texts, photographs and other elements. However, these themes would look attractive when one views them on the desktop, but would look more cluttered and would be slow to load when viewed on mobile phones. Thus, you would observe that most websites, when designed for mobile phone specifically, are more simple and different than their attractive and complex desktop design. It is necessary that you also consider this and make your mobile website simple and easy to load.
7. Avoid using Flash
Again, we mostly pay attention to desktop web design than mobile website. Generally, it is assumed that people would view your website on desktop as opposed to mobile phones or tablets. However, the reality is opposite. Flash, which is often used while developing desktop website doesn’t run on mobile devices as they don’t support it. Thus, those using Flash on their website design and don’t have a separate mobile website, would struggle capturing mobile user’s attention as the website would not open properly.
Though, Flash technology is getting obsolete, it is time that you find out alternatives of this technology and be safe. It is advised, however, to use HTML, that’s emerging and widely used by developers and designers.
8. Using Media Queries
Media query is not what you probably must be thinking right now. In fact, this media query will allow your website to get displayed on a device, easily and without any problem.
It happens so as it will ask the device its size and would then directs the browser to display the website accordingly. It is, in fact, a part of mobile friendly sites allowing your website to configure as per the device used by the user. Another advantage of having this done is it would allow your website to look good on any device and not just the popular ones.
9. Using Premium Themes
WordPress offers you two types of themes: Free and Paid. Generally, there are limited responsive themes when you opt for free model, but would get varied responsive designs when paid. The quick answer to this is responsive design require coding and when you buy a theme, you get the access to that coding.
Thus, if you want to make your site impressive and expressive, then opting for premium themes would be the best option since you would not only get access to the best themes but also can code the website as per your requirement and make it mobile friendly.
10. Opting for mapping
Mapping is nothing but simply adding extra domain to your hosting account. For instance, Facebook have a separate domain for mobile users with m.facebook.com. Likewise, you can create a separate domain for your mobile users and allow them to access your mobile website by visiting your mobile domain. This option can be considered if you are not ready to buy a premium theme or wish to design your mobile friendly website differently than your desktop website.
Mobile devices are an integral part of our lives today. People rely on their handy device for almost everything. If you want to reach them easily, then having a mobile compatible website is a must. Follow either of the mentioned ways, and you surely would see an affirmative result.