One of the challenges of running a blog is staying connected with your reader base. Being able to initially attract and then maintain an audience is difficult enough. On top of that, though, the shift in web consumption to mobile platforms has added another complication: It’s no longer enough to make your blog compatible with the major desktop browsers.
Borrow From Apps
One theme of using a tablet, especially for iPad users, is that there’s a level of consistency from application to application. UI controls for most iPad apps are in the same locations, and the same goes for most Android apps as well. With that in mind, making your blog feel more like an app can dramatically increase its usability for tablet users. On the iPad that might mean placing common controls in the upper corners, while on Android it will probably mean relying on collapsible menus. Either way, creating an app-like interface will make tablet visitors feel more at home on your blog.
Eliminate High-Latency Content
It’s true that a number of tablets only feature a Wi-Fi connection. However, Apple’s line of iPad tablets are the king of the tablet world, and many of those models feature 3G connections. For readers who want to access your website on the go, being met with a barrage of high-latency content such as Flash or other embedded elements can steer them away.
This is actually a fairly easy adjustment to make. Any Flash content should be replaced by HTML5, and content like video clips should be on-demand only. Ideally, this sort of content would be linked to as a separate element so tablet users will only have to deal with it if they choose to. This will also help to streamline your blog’s appearance.
Take Advantage of the Real Estate
With so much emphasis on downsizing your blog and making it more efficient, it might be easy to get into the thinking that such methods are the only ones for making your blog iPad friendly. The truth is, though, that the majority of tablets on the market feature 10-inch screens, many of them with beautiful displays. Sharp graphics, combined with a well-placed image or two, will dramatically enhance your blog’s appearance. Strong aesthetics can make readers want to keep coming back to your blog on their tablets.
With these tips, the transition to mobile can be a lot smoother for your blog. The key is simply to identify what elements work and what ones don’t work. Once you’ve accomplished that, you’ll be able to provide a smooth experience for your audience no matter what platform they’re using.
This article was written by Amy Lee who love skiing, traveling, shopping, and also saving money since the Great Depression. One way of saving her money is using online coupon cutting site Sidepon.com. Besides that, she also loves writing articles that are related to business, technology, or mobile.
