Can People View Your Website via Smart Phones or Tablets?
How Does Your Website Look on a Smart Phone or Tablet
“(Apple CEO) Timothy D. Cook, said the iPad last quarter outsold the number of personal computers sold by any individual manufacturer.”
NY Times, March 7, 2012
Announcing the release of the iPad 3 on March 7th, caused us to look back on one of our most read posts from our blog, “Is Your Website Smart Phone Friendly?” It’s hard to believe that the iPad was introduced to consumers in January 2010. Sales have been out-of-the-ballpark as well of sales of other brands of tablets like the Kindle Fire and Nook. How well your website performs on a smart phone is also true for the slick and wildly popular new tablets.
The tide has changed in how people view the internet. The business world and home usage has been populated by the desktop personal computer, up until very recently. Desk top computers were relied upon to surf the Internet and view websites. When a computer died or aged out, it was replaced with another desk top. When a new innovation was released (like the latest version of Windows), users would flock to buy a new computer.
However, and this is a huge turn of events: Forrester Research forecasts that desktop computers will only be 20% of computer sales by 2015.
We all know that change will be greater and faster than predicted, as that’s the way of the technology sales and conversion. Now, here’s why this matters to you and your website: What do smart phone and tablet users see when they visit your website?
Now more than ever, it’s essential to look at your website on your own phone or tablet – borrow a friend’s if you have to. You want to make sure that the important elements can be readily viewed and accessed.
These timely tips are a “one-two punch” to keep hand-held users engaged on your website, improve your website and the mobile device experience.
Text Phone Number
Open up your website online (on your PC or Mac is OK). Mouse over your phone number. If you can highlight one number at a time, then you can be sure it is “text”. If the whole number highlights or a larger area highlights, then it’s likely your phone number has been created as an image. Phone users rely on text phone numbers because they can simply click or touch the number to dial it. Wouldn’t you like customers to be able to easily call you? They cannot do this if your phone number is a graphic image.
Flash Dead Zone
Handhelds cannot display “Flash” software. Neither does the iPhone or it’s big brother, the iPad, No Flash. If your website uses Flash, all these users see is “a dead zone”, an empty box with nothing in it! I worked with a client last year whose entire website was developed in flash. It’s turns into a white page on a white background without having Flash. Even the navigation menu is in the Flash file. Phone users see it as a white screen with no links to go to any of the secondary web pages. That won’t help you get any new business!
Your successful Internet Marketing begins with being seen online… on desktop computers and now more than ever, on smart phones and tablets!
Is your site ready? Call Vanessa at Design to Spec (203-364-4030) to ensure your website can be seen on all hand-held devices like the smart Phone and tablets and don’t lose potential business.
