I found a great article today while scanning the web called 7 usability guidelines for websites on mobile devices. The article was written in 2007 but because the mobile web experience has been rather slow to get going it is only now very pertinent to those of us enjoying this booming industry.
Of course, there are those people who say that the advent of the iPhone and the rise of the so called Smart Phone has meant that we shouldn’t be focusing on custom sites for mobile; that the dotmobi rise wave has drifted into the shallows. But here in Africa where most people can’t afford something too fancy and expensive, the need to develop sites for the mobile phone is gaining momentum. Nokia still has the lion’s share of the market and their low to middle-end phones are very successful. On a continent were there is a huge discrepancy between the pc and mobile market and it is only the foolhardy who wouldn’t have at least some mobile strategy – even if it is, “we don’t want one”.
I would like add an 8th guidline to the 7 above:
Not all mobile browsers are the same. Anyone who has developed a website for mobile will know that what looks great on a Nokia may look terrible on a Motorola. Develop and test for a multitude of browsers and handsets and if needs be, operators as well. Different operators may have different default settings that will interfere with the way your site appears.
Good luck
