The mobile website design is the most promising platform for several consumer driven companies. The number of mobile phone users in the world is more than 2.4 billion and out of that nearly 30% of users surf the internet on a regular basis. This is the primary reason for the increasing popularity of mobile web development in fact, many people predicts that the internet browsing will be leap over the usage of the internet browsing on the desktop. A large number of WAP mobile users browse the internet on mobiles but are often faced with the difficulty of improper display and loading of the website.

A mobile website involves special designing and development procedures. Here are some of the points that you need to bear in mind while making mobile web site.

The most primary requirement that one needs to understand is that the web browsing on the computer and the mobile phone have huge difference. Therefore, you need to design a special website so that your customers can have a better accessibility of your website on the mobile phone. For this websites must be set on W3C.

One of the things to avoid for making good mobile website design is to not use tables in the layout as this will not look good on the mobiles. CSS gives maximum compatibility there the mobile web site made on CSS layout is better.

A mobile website can be made better with the usage of XML or XHTML coding and the character encoding set being UTF-8.

Always take into consideration that the mobile phones are available in different sizes with various sizes of screens as well. Make sure that your design is such that it works on most of the screen sizes.

The maximum size of mobile website page is 20 kilobytes and therefore it is better to fit all the content including pictures in that size. This also makes it a challenge for you to include all the important information about your business and products is presented on top the page itself.

Most of all, take care that you design your website such that it is worth the money that the mobile users are spending for surfing your website.

More and more individuals are riding the mobile wave! Mobile web sites are springing up by the minute and it is entirely up to you to make your mobile site stand out. Here are some helpful tips to make your mobile site a cut above the rest.

Play with Color. Some mobile site builders offer its members extensive color palettes wherein users may experiment with various color combinations when it comes to the color scheme of their mobile sites. Let your WAP site’s colors reflect your personality!

Are you the outgoing type? Let your inner party animal shine by using strong colors like red, aqua and emerald green. Mix these up with even more outrageous tones like orange, purple and gold! If your tastes lean more towards the classics, choose understated pastel tones to bring out that touch of elegance. The idea here is to build a mobile web site that speaks of YOU!

Create a Visual Experience. Make your mobile web site highly visual by using text-wrapping tools that will enable you to insert photographs and wrap text to these images. Images help attract more visitors because they add flavor to your site.

Into photography? Why not build a mobile portfolio of your best photographs? Add brief descriptions for your photos to make it more interesting and personal. Post scanned versions of your artworks and show off that inner Picasso!

Create a Guestbook and encourage friends and potential dates to leave messages for you. If you are building a mobile website for business purposes, one way of generating new contacts is through the Guestbook. Encourage visitors to leave contact details and requests for you.

Mobile site builders also feature tools that will keep your viewers hooked: POLLS. Create surveys! It could be a survey that will help you figure out the latest consumer trends or it could be one for purely entertainment purposes!

you have a passion for fashion? Create a mobile style hive! Upload the latest in style and fashion. Post the latest news about this year’s fashion icons. Create polls and predict what the next fashion trend will be!

If you are running your site on an apache web server chances are that it has cpanel and in cpanel there is a create subdomain icon/text. If this is the case go there and follow those directions. It will then create a folder on your site like so. http://www.yoursite.com/mobile/ and when users go to mobile.yoursite.com it will show the contents of the mobile folder.
Creating Subdomain for Mobile on IIS Server

Creating Subdomain on IIS Server is a little more tricky that on Apache. First you must create a folder in the inetpub called mobile. Then you need to add new website by right clicking My Computer going to Manage and then Services and Then IIS then Web Sites. Create a new website naming it Mobile Site, then make sure that the properly / Home Directory Tab is showing the contents of the mobile folder. Then go to the control panel and select network devices and right click your network connection and go to properties. Then click the advanced button and make sure the tab is on IP Settings. Add an IP address (a new one not the same one as your other site) and then save all that.

Now back to what we where talking about earlier, making a few pages specifically for the mobile device browsers You need to create at least 4 different pages

* Email Directory

* Phone Directory

* Location

* About

If your organization is not that large you can probably compress Email / Phone directory into 1 contact page.

These pages need to be minimal. Minimal text, minimal tables, minimal pictures ect. Also NO FRAMES, NO JAVASCRIPT, and NO FLASH as most mobile device browsers can’t read any of those.

Today most people, whether self employed or working for someone, will definitely have an email id, a mobile phone and probably a business card. But most of them would say no or appear hesitant at the idea of having a website or blog of their own. The reasons for not having one could range from arguments like why to have one, lack of technical knowledge, embarrassment (or fright) of having a website and let the whole world know about them or some other reason. However, contrary to what most people think having a personal website or a blog has several advantages and immense benefits to everyone as outlined below.

1. A website is one of the easiest and cheapest ways of telling the world about your hobbies, talents, thoughts or business by spending a very nominal sum of money. And anyone who has some knowledge to share or sell will benefit from having a website today. In today’s competitive world you need every advantage you can to showcase yourself and your talents. Your website can be used to promote and grow your hobbies and services, expose your talents to the world and customers who are interested in what you do, improve your personal and professional image, get acquainted with people who have similar hobbies and interests, sell your goods, give free or paid advice, etc. For example, if you are in a creative business like writing, publishing, arts, paintings, etc., you will definitely need a website to showcase your stuff. Unless you are an extremely famous person hounded by the press, paparazzi and hundreds of fans, you will need a personal website or blog that portrays who you are, what you do, what you know, your accomplishments and how to contact you. And contrary to what most people think your website need not be a super duper or glamorous one. It can be as plain and simple as possible.

2. A website helps you promote and advertise your company worldwide. By having a website, you allow your customers to find you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are in a competitive business and your competitors have websites but you don’t, then you are already light years behind no matter how great your products and services are. A website shows that you are in tune with modern times and new technologies. With a website you can offer complete details about your products and services than just listing your business in a microscopic yellow pages section or periodically providing some expensive newspaper or magazine advertisements. Another advantage with a website is you can update and revise your products and services as many times as possible with minimal cost and effort.

3. Websites and blogs today can also re-establish contact with your long lost friends and buddies. It provides a method of contacting you through search engines and social networking sites. Having a website also helps people distinguish you from someone who have an identical or similar sounding name. For example if people googled you and reach your website with your photo it will prove that you are not the same guy as that suspected serial killer the police are hunting for, who coincidentally has the same name as yours.

4. Of course, as with anything there are Do’s and Don’ts and your website must be managed responsibly. That means no posting of inappropriate information, your company’s confidential information, foul mouthing people or your employers, linking to questionable sources, plagiarizing from other sources, peddling illegal stuff, etc. What you post on your website must be eligible personal information, shareable stuff and publicly available information that are freely available from other sources.

5. Finally getting a website need not be a complicated, expensive or frightening business. It is possible to get a simple website for as low as a hundred dollars. With some simple online software and tools it is possible for you to create a decent website within hours or days if you have the content ready. The content can be in the form of text or images. And there are several reputed organizations and freelancers who can create and maintain a great website for a small fee. Or if managing a website seems daunting you can easily get a blog, which is a vanilla version of a website that you can use to upload text and images very easily.

In this crowded world, you will be noticed only when you are unique. An individual should build up their own style and should make people feel their existence, the same way he should try his level best to give his or her organization a unique look. Whether, you are in online or offline business, competition is everywhere. Your company is your trademark and it should have some distinguish feature which should look very different. Your personality should match up to your company and vice versa. Presentation is very essential these days. If you owe a website then it should be quite presentable. Today, there is custom website solution will help you out to make your website look attractive.

Beautiful things catch ones eyeball. If the thing is catchy then a person will feel to stop and glare it. A thing which is not attractable goes unnoticed and upraised. To make your site catchy it is very important to work on designing. Business owners usually do not understand the language of web designing. It is not their cup of tea. Custom website solution will only make your website popular. A web designer can only make your website trendy and noticeable. Businesses may hire freelance custom website designers or attain the services of a company specializing in this field. Initially, a design quote is agreed upon. Business owner should make the web designer understood the goal and ambition of his site. He should sit beside the designer and plan things in a planned and systematic way. He creates many dummy sites and ultimately sticks to one. Custom web solution will make your website attractable and catchy.

The website should be very appealing and its colour, pictures should attract the audience. A beautifully designed website is capable of dragging more and more visitors. Custom website solution designers work on graphics, HTML codes, and flash animations. The website should not look hazy and people should understand what message the site is throwing. Web designing is a brain storming job and requires lot of patience and dedication. With the upcoming of internet, the demand of web designers is increasing day by day. Many institutions are coming up with designing course. It is a very lucrative job and individuals are craving for it. To become an expert web designer, a person need to study and experiment a lot. He should possess a creative mind. Only a creative person can shine in this field.

A proper website analytics solution should, at the very minimum level, provide feedback on website activity, visitor information, browsers, website traffic origin, search keywords and referrers. Whether your organization is big or small, it is very important that the site look unique in all respect. So, every company should work quite hard on web designing. Good designed site brings profit to the company. People will visit a well designed site again and again. If your site becomes the most favorite one among the surfers then only your organization will reach the zenith. So, work very hard in respect of content and design. Custom website solution will definitely invite more and more traffic to your site.

Mobile Devices like the BlackBerry and Pocket PC are becoming ever more popular. People are moving away from the office so that they can become more productive.

As this trend continues it becomes even more popular for the webmaster or business to have a website that is friendly to a mobile device.

It’s best to retain those web users and maybe even gain a few new one in the process. Website’s specifically engineered for mobile devices do just that. Why can’t mobile devices use the same website as pc’s and mac’s?

Well the main reason is that the pages are way to large. Most websites are made to be viewed at a 1024×768 resolution or at least 800×600. Well the BlackBerry 8730e has a resolution of 320×240. It’s the equivalent of looking at a map through a pinhole.

So what needs to be done? We need to lower the resolution of the web page. Because we can’t expect 90% of your users that are on PC’s to look at a tiny website on their screen we need to create a duplicate site.

If you are running your site on an apache web server chances are that it has cpanel and in cpanel there is a create subdomain icon/text.

Creating Subdomain on IIS Server is a little more tricky that on Apache. First you must create a folder in the inetpub called mobile. Then you need to add new website by right clicking My Computer going to Manage and then Services and Then IIS then Web Sites. Create a new website naming it Mobile Site, then make sure that the properly / Home Directory Tab is showing the contents of the mobile folder. Then go to the control panel and select network devices and right click your network connection and go to properties. Then click the advanced button and make sure the tab is on IP Settings. Add an IP address (a new one not the same one as your other site) and then save all that.

Now you need to NAT the incoming request for mail.yoursite.com to that internal ip address. I may have skipped a step or two but i thing i have all that covered. If you have questions just google “Subdomain Setup IIS Tutorial”

Now back to what we where talking about earlier, making a few pages specifically for the mobile device browsers You need to create at least 4 different pages

* Email Directory
* Phone Directory
* Location
* About

If your organization is not that large you can probably compress Email / Phone directory into 1 contact page.

These pages need to be minimal. Minimal text, minimal tables, minimal pictures ect. Also NO FRAMES, NO JAVASCRIPT, and NO FLASH as most mobile device browsers can’t read any of those.

Assuming that everything has wen ‘t well you should have a mobile friendly website that can be viewed by any user anywhere. Make sure to post a link on your main page linking to the Mobile Page, and give it out to your customers as well.

Webaroo has launched a mobile Web site for SMS GupShup, its popular free group SMS service.

Webaroo claims that the new mobile Web site’s user interface (UI) is intuitive, easy to use, and form-fitted for the phone screen, making accessing and reading content a pleasurable experience.
The mobile Web site allows users to perform a host of actions on their mobile phones. Once signed in, users have access to their accounts, and can create, add, or modify their profile, group, and subscribers. They can also search, browse, discover, and subscribe to content, and post text and picture messages. The mobile Web site also allows users to share favorite groups with buddies.

Meanwhile, the SMS GupShup mobile Web site is accessible on any phone that is data-enabled. To access the SMS GupShup mobile Web site on their phones, users need to login to the url: http://m.smsgupshup.com.

Mobile technology is revolutionizing the way we access information. Mobile technology displays information relevant to the individuals physical location. This creates a whole new world of interaction possibilities. It is estimated that by 2010 half of the world will have access to the internet via a mobile device. This will make the mobile web a more essential part of our daily lives.

If you have not already done so, register the .mobi version of your particular domain name. .mobi domains are intended for websites that will be viewed on cell phones and other mobile devices. Most .mobi sites are short abstracts of your current website. When someone visits your website via a mobile device, they are redirected to the .mobi version. Access to your information is now quick and easy.

How would your website look on a hand held device? Is it easy to navigate? Is the most important information readily available to your visitors? Is your website “mobile Web” ready?

Ten years ago most small business owners didn’t have a website and probably didn’t see the need for one. Now, a business without a website is considered second rate at best. A website is a necessity for doing business in the 21st century. Also a necessity in the 21st century is a website that can be easily viewed on a hand held device.

According to the latest statistics, only 11% of Americans are getting their news and information using the browser in their mobile phone. That doesn’t seem too impressive until you look at the enormous popularity of Apple’s new iPhone and realize that “the times, they are a changing.” In the next few years, the popularity of surfing the net on your mobile Web is going to skyrocket.

Mobile devices are the future of the Internet. According to a November 27, 2007 article in the New York Times, “More than 30 companies have signed up for the Open Handset Alliance from Google, which aims to bring the wide-open development environment of the Internet to mobile devices.” If Google is getting involved in this effort to broaden the use of the Internet on hand held devices, you can be sure that this is not just a passing trend.

The incredible popularity of the iPhone is leading the way to a new website platform for businesses. As the Web technologies for mobile devices continue to improve, more and more people are going to be using their iPhone or Blackberry to connect to the Internet. However, even though the improved Internet navigation capabilities of the iPhone make it easier for users to connect to the Internet, there is still one big problem with mobile devices. Small screens make for difficult viewing.

There are mandatory rules mentioned all across the web that you cannot just ignore if you intend to make mobile pages that will make its way to 1.6 Billion mobile phone screens around the world today. These rules once followed, are suppose to benefit page owners and page users alike or give everybody a good mobile existence and experience.

If you read about and aware yourself of these rules, you will most likely realize that it is actually simpler to just forget everything about mobile pages and start ignoring the buzz about WAP or dotMobi than to start complying with them. But if you believe with other big and small businesses, pay-per-clicks and big brands that the future traffic lies on mobile internet, you have no choice but to learn the rules that are enumerated below and quoted from a blogpage on dotMobi.

1. XHTML tags for your mobile profile

- You ought to have a tag for your mobile landing page to signify the XHTML nature of your site. XHTML is the preferred language for mobile web browsers (just in case you did not know) and this language gives mobile browsers the signal as to what kind of behavior your site wants the consumer to experience. Mobile sites not implementing this rule will be turned off with due notice.

2. Strictly No Frames

- Frames in some cases, screw up or break mobile browsers and produces a bad mobile experience for the users. They also make navigation around a mobile site more difficult for users. Mobile sites not implementing this rule will be turned off with due notice.

3. myname.mobi should be the landing page

- This rule exists for the practical reason that consumers on the go do not have much chance to remember lengthy addresses or even type lots of characters on a zero to nine keypad. A dotMobi page is supposed to guarantee that users need not worry about what comes before the name (www.something Or wap.something) and feed the requested mobile pages quickly and dependably. Mobile sites not implementing this rule will be turned off with due notice.

Now that you already know the rules, you already might be looking for ways to build mobile pages that are automatically compliant with these rules.

Making a mobile site has to be brain-dead simple nowadays for there already exist platforms that actually allow you to build your own mobile pages even when you don’t really know anything about XHTML.