How to Make Your Blog Mobile Friendly

Smart phones and tablets have radically changed the way that people get online and access information. More and more people are using these devices to read their favorite blogs, pay their bills, and even shop for clothing and gifts. As technology advances, the use of phones, tablets, and other mobile devices for accessing the Internet will only increase.

Not all websites display the same way on a computer and a mobile device. Smart phones and tablets have much smaller screens, so the content does not appear the same. Users have to scroll a lot to find content and they can’t navigate on a smart phone the way they can on a computer.

Developing a mobile-friendly version of your site is imperative to connecting with all your readers wherever they may access your site. Creating a mobile version of your site need not be complicated or time consuming. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind:

Use a Clean Design

Lots of graphics, buttons, and other interactive elements might make your site look great, but they will only make it harder for your readers to load and navigate your site on a mobile device. Strip away everything that isn’t crucial to the feel or function of your site for the mobile version. Use simple fonts, a clean design, and as few pictures as you can.

Offer Easy Navigation

Most smart phones and tablets do not have a back button or other icons to help them navigate your site. Make it easy for these users to explore your site by providing links on each page to navigate the blog. You can link to your home page, the next blog in your series, contact information, or your archives.

The key is to make the information your readers need (and that you want to promote) easily accessible. If it’s not, your reader may just give up and leave your site.

Center Content

Don’t make your readers have to scroll from side to side to read all your content. Center your content so that the information appears directly on screen. It will be easier for your readers to access, and you won’t risk annoying them away from your page.

Making your pages smaller will also insure that your readers will get most of the information they need without having to scroll.

Get Professional Help

You don’t have to do all the work yourself. If you aren’t sure how to make your site mobile-friendly, or you don’t know how to do the design work, there are a few plug-ins that will do the work for you quickly and easily.

Some plug-ins that will convert your site into a mobile version include:

 MoFuse (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/mofuse/)
 WP Touch (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wptouch/)
 Mobify (http://www.mobify.com/)

If you want a custom design for your mobile site, you can also hire a programmer to help you.

Creating a mobile version of your blog or website need not be a complicated or time-consuming process. You can start by choosing a responsive theme for your blog – one that will automatically adjust itself for the device being used to access the site – or you can choose a plug-in or designer to adapt your site. If you want to do it yourself, you can just follow these simple suggestions for simplifying your site for easier access and navigation.

Have you adapted your site for mobile devices? Tell us your recommendations in the comments!

Audrey Porterman is the main researcher and writer for doctoralprograms.org. Her most recent accomplishment includes graduating from Ohio State, with a degree in business management. Her current focus for the site involves online phd degrees and a history phd.