Mobile websites are different from desktop websites in many aspects. So it is only logical that they will be developed in different ways. Here are for instance some points that make mobile websites different from desktop websites:
- Content needs to be kept at a minimum, as mobile users aren’t interested in a lot of information, but rather look for specific details.
- Layout is also different, because mobile screens are not built to scroll horizontally, so the content has to be set vertically. This format also allows for a more efficient search of the information, as it will prioritize important things.
- Multimedia content in general takes a long time to load on mobile devices, so it is best to keep images to a minimum and of adequate sizes.
- Always bear in mind that, unlike what happens with computers, where there’s a mouse and a keyboard, screens are the way users interact with mobile devices. So buttons will be clicked on with fingers, not a pointer. Therefore they need to be bigger and not clustered with other buttons or clickable parts.
- In the same way, there’s no point in asking for a lot of input from the users if they are visiting a mobile website, as this will be difficult and tiresome for them. Favour click-to-call options over forms where typing is required.
So once you’ve developed your mobile website, the question is: will it look well on mobile devices? No better way to know than to test it yourself. But not all mobile devices are the same (different operating systems, screen sizes, navigators…), and it will be an ordeal to test your site on each of them one by one. Luckily for you, there are some emulators that will perform this task for you, letting you know if your website can be correctly viewed from mobile devices.
Opera Mobile Emulator
This tool is a software developed by Opera to test websites on the Opera Mobile browser. This is an emulator, which means that you don’t need real devices for testing, as it comes pre-configured with a series of phone and tablet device profiles. On the down side, it only displays how pages will look using the Opera mobile browser and doesn’t take into account other browssers; also, the profiles included are only those on which Opera mobile browser runs.
GoMo Meter
Google’s tool offers a very simple way to test your site to see how it looks from a smartphone, providing also a free report with personalized recommendations to help you improve your mobile usability. It also includes sections with advice, guides for agencies, advertisers and publishers, and a directory of developers in case you want to hire one.
Firefox
Firefox’s latest version has a built-in tool for testing websites with different resolutions. You just have to go to Tools -> Web developer -> Responsive Design View and see how your website looks in different browsers’ resolutions. Although this does not change the User Agent of the browser, it is very useful when you use it in combination with the User Agent Switcher plugin. You will then just need to switch to the user agent of the target device, and set the resolution accordingly.
Keynote DeviceAnywhere
This tool provides a huge variety of mobile devices to test your website on. What is great of this service is that they actually make use of remote connection to real devices, so it is not an emulator but the real thing. Besides, it can also test apps (HTML5 hybrid and native). On the downside, it is not free (there’s a 3-hour free trial and additional testig prices go from $20 per hour to $250 for monthly subscriptions), and test phones only have US, UK and Canada operators networks currently available.
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