At this point, most WordPress templates are set up so that they can accommodate users on mobile devices. This involves having a mobile version of the site, which has simplified features and an interface that is friendlier to the smaller screens on mobile devices.
At the same time that themes that can accommodate mobile devices have become very popular, those mobile devices have undergone a continuous evolution from devices that were characteristically small to devices that come in a variety of sizes, including some that are quite large. Examples of larger devices would include the iPad, Kindle Fire HD and other, similar devices. For users, the experience of web surfing on one of these devices is really not remarkably different than web surfing on a desktop computer. There are some design considerations that you should take into account if you’re sure that the demographic that reads your WordPress site uses quite a few mobile devices, including those with larger screens.
Give Them a Way Out
One of the first things you want to take into account is that some people, even though they are on mobile devices, do not like mobile themes. They may find that the capabilities of the mobile version of the site are too limited, they may find that the layout of the site simply does not appeal to them or, in many cases, they may find that locating content they know to be on the site is much more difficult when there used to finding it via the desktop version of the site.
WordPress themes that allow users to be served a mobile version of a site when they arrive on a mobile device are called responsive themes. They respond to the device being used to view the page. Part of being responsive, however, means addressing the needs of the individual. To that end, make certain that you have a theme that gives people the option to look at the full desktop version of your site if they prefer. After all, if they just put down hundreds of dollars for a large sized mobile device such as an iPad, they’re probably not going to want their web browsing experience to be exactly the same as it would be if they were using a smartphone.
Watch Your Scripts
There are plenty of scripts out there, particularly those used to serve advertisements, which overlay a page on top of the main page. One of the advantages of using a mobile version of your site is that it will typically not load such advertisements, though this is not always true. Be aware of the fact that it can be very difficult for people to close out pop-up screens or other overlays that show up on their mobile devices. If you normally do use pop-up screens as ways to get advertising revenue, you may want to reconsider that strategy in light of the fact that a lot of the users out there today are using mobile devices where these advertisements are more likely to be annoying than persuasive.
If you pick up a responsive theme that you want to use for your WordPress site, make certain that you test it out in a variety of mobile devices first. You should at least test it out on a smartphone and a tablet mobile device. This will let you know what viewers are going to see when they show up at your site and, of course, it gives you an opportunity to check on whether you find these mobile features attractive or merely limiting. As long as users have the ability to choose which version of your site they want, you shouldn’t have any trouble.
Anny Solway is a dedicated writer at ThemeFuse – a leader in the Premium WordPress Themes area. She likes to discover new ideas about internet marketing, social media and blogging.