Resources

Connections Vol. 2 Issue 9 September 2007

Design with Technology in Mind

By: Joseph Duron

1-877-5-BLAINE

Technology, specifically for the web, is always expanding to offer new and innovative features and capabilities.

It began with the ability to browse the web on a dial up modem. Next, it was the ability to e-mail. Later the ability to bypass e-mail by sending instant messages (IM) became the norm. Now, software, such as accounting and data entry, are now being made so they can be accessed via the web. Web applications can now allow you to do things such as: checking the availability and reserving of hotel rooms or car rentals, viewing and making bank transactions, and so much more.

Now it’s becoming more common to access web sites through handheld electronic devices called PDAs and smart phones.

With most PDAs and smart phones being used by busy people, mostly professionals, business folk, or your average geek, it is important that they have a pleasant experience when viewing your web site. That’s why having a web site that can be easily viewed by PDAs and smart phones is important.

Always keep in mind that people using these handheld devices are not expecting the same type of user experience as sitting on a regular computer. These users are instead looking to find the information they’re looking for as quickly and pain-free as possible.

Have you ever found yourself on a web site that was confusing or hard to use? Imagine that same web site but only on a PDA or smart phone! Not fun!

Many web sites do not display correctly on PDA and smart phone web browsers. Common problems include: hard to navigate, links jumbled up in a corner, and text on top of text, on top of text. People who use the web for business usually use these handheld gadgets to obtain the information they need in a timely manner. Visitors are on your web site for convenience and self interest, not to find it to be an annoyance.

When developing a web site with the PDA and smart phone audience in mind, keeping files (such as images) at a conservative size is an absolute must. Keep file sizes to a minimum and PDA and smart phone visitors will adore you! Large file sizes take more time to load. Visitors might be annoyed if they have to go through three (3) links to find the information they came for and they take a long time to load.

Long waits can turn users off to your web site. Do however realize that it is ultimately up to the web site owner on how friendly they want the site to be towards a smart phone and PDA audience. Some site owners may not find it important, so cross-browser testing is only done with computer web browsers.

With such a wide variety in the web browsers that are out there, it is always best to cross browser test in multiple web browsers.

This is your time to “impress” the citizens of this growing PDA and smart phone community. Do what is right and make sure your site can be easily navigated and loads quickly.

Common Examples of Smart Phones:
Palm: Treo 680, 700w/wx, 700p, 750, 755p
BlackBerry: Pearl 8100, Curve 8300, Gamma Ray 8820

Q and A

By: Joseph Duron

1-877-5-BLAINE

How do I make sure that my web site can be used by a PDA or smart phone?

Long story short, the programming must simply be "top-notch.” No questions asked, no margin for error. Errors and missing code cannot exist if you want a happy PDA or smart phone visitor.

Most standard web browsers on your Personal Computer (PC) will not show most of these errors, so you typically never know the errors exist. But on a smart phone or PDA, bad coding becomes very clear to see! Do remember that sometimes the coding may be good, but will require extra time to cross-browser test on a PDA or smart phone.

The design must be sophisticated enough for PC users to find appealing, but simple enough for PDA and smart phone users to have the ability to navigate and have pages load quickly.

Depending on the type of technology your current web site uses would determine how to best optimize the site. Graphics can be downsized to load faster; and navigation can be configured to be presented differently to a mobile phone. Items that add pizzazz to your web site: such as sound, video, and animated graphics (such as flash) should all be eliminated. This can be done using a version that only the mobile user sees.

What is the difference between a PDA, smart phone, and a regular cell phone?

A PDA is an electronic handheld information device often used for inputting, storing, and retrieving data, such as keeping schedule calendars and address books handy. They are used for personal or business use.

A cell phone, which is technically called a mobile or cellular phone, is a device able to move over a wide area with a wide range and behaves as a normal telephone.