Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

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#21

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

Even though the iPhone can browse any site, its very difficult to navigate a site unless it is specifically optimised for mobile devices. What ends up happening is that the entire page loads and is extremely small. Then you have to do a double-touch widen motion to enlarge it, resulting in a screen that scrolls both horizontally and vertically. That in itself makes it very hard to deal with. Top that off with the way a lot of sites have multiple links that are close together (like blogrolls) that are actually quite difficult to get the right link when using your finger and not a mouse.

Plus, the majority of smart phone users are iPhone users, and you need to provide these users with h.264 encoded mp4 files for video streams for them to enjoy videos.

Optimising a site for mobile means encoding your page with instructions for clicking, using lightweight graphics and videos for speedy delivery and for providing a good quality user experience on a small screen, plus encoding your content for best delivery, plus optimising the usability aspects.

#22

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

[QUOTE=HunkMoneyLuke;71976]Even though the iPhone can browse any site, its very difficult to navigate a site unless it is specifically optimised for mobile devices. What ends up happening is that the entire page loads and is extremely small. Then you have to do a double-touch widen motion to enlarge it, resulting in a screen that scrolls both horizontally and vertically. That in itself makes it very hard to deal with. Top that off with the way a lot of sites have multiple links that are close together (like blogrolls) that are actually quite difficult to get the right link when using your finger and not a mouse.

Plus, the majority of smart phone users are iPhone users, and you need to provide these users with h.264 encoded mp4 files for video streams for them to enjoy videos.

Optimising a site for mobile means encoding your page with instructions for clicking, using lightweight graphics and videos for speedy delivery and for providing a good quality user experience on a small screen, plus encoding your content for best delivery, plus optimising the usability aspects.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, that’s useful to know!

So is h.264 encoded mp4 the format that will work on most mobiles? Would that also be a good format for use on any normal browser / computer?

#23

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

LOL I am having a hard time keeping up to all these posts this morning. Yes h.264 encoded mp4 files should work on any phone with an operating system, ie, iPhones, Android or Win devices.

This is a product that I am using for creating my FHGs: http://www.leawo.com/video-converter/free-ipodconverter.html
I have only run into a couple of videos that did not work after converting them, and those were very old mpeg clips that I tried to convert.

#24

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

For conversion also try::
http://www.any-video-converter.com/products/for_video_free/

#25

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

Here’s the four key factors to consider, when asking if mobile browser traffic will convert on a regular website:

(1) Video formats and site design… a squashed up site with incompatible video format is not really viable business offering to your customer base is it?

(2) Beware though, not all mobile phones behave in the same way - so device detection and rendering the best format of site and media is just as important.

(3) There are millions of ‘mobile primaries’ out there, who have no other easy access to the internet, other than their phone. This is a market that needs to be approached differently.

(4) Finally, mobile browsing patterns are different than web, across the board , and the mobile site functionality has to accommodate that.

Interesting stats Bjorn, at least 75% are on higher end devices, which also means more likely to have ability to pay. iPad traffic will grow, Apple have sold 3 million of them already, and it’s ideal for casual surfing, it’s also a great device with some cool capabilities to get very creative with for our industry… :wink:

#26

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

[QUOTE=HunkMoneyLuke;71980]This is a product that I am using for creating my FHGs: http://www.leawo.com/video-converter/free-ipodconverter.html
I have only run into a couple of videos that did not work after converting them, and those were very old mpeg clips that I tried to convert.[/QUOTE]

THANK YOU!!! Just a few minutes before I saw this I had mentioned to Bjorn in a PM that I needed something like that. The one that’s a step up (the $35 one) looks perfect for what I need… Now I just need to test it…

#27

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

rawTOP, if you really want to thank me then send some of that juicy mobile traffic over our way :smiley:

#28

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

[QUOTE=HunkMoneyLuke;71980]LOL I am having a hard time keeping up to all these posts this morning. Yes h.264 encoded mp4 files should work on any phone with an operating system, ie, iPhones, Android or Win devices.

This is a product that I am using for creating my FHGs: http://www.leawo.com/video-converter/free-ipodconverter.html
I have only run into a couple of videos that did not work after converting them, and those were very old mpeg clips that I tried to convert.[/QUOTE]

What player would you use for mp4 files? Quicktime Player only? Isn’t that then going to have problems of its own as it might not work on all devices?

When I search around mp4 seems closely linked to Quicktime, is there any reason for that?

#29

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

[QUOTE=gaydemon;72074]What player would you use for mp4 files? Quicktime Player only? Isn’t that then going to have problems of its own as it might not work on all devices?

When I search around mp4 seems closely linked to Quicktime, is there any reason for that?[/QUOTE]

My understanding is that just about anything can play an MPEG4 file. The file extension .mp4 is usually mapped to Quicktime because of iTunes. It can be played by many/most other players.

#30

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

Thanks! I think that’s what can be a bit confusing to most of us. I’ve asked around a bit and it seems a lot of people associate mp4 with Quicktime and actually think it’s the same thing rather than a format of its own.

Say you want to use a mp4 clip on a site instead of flash, what would you use to play it? FlowPlayer?

#31

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

[QUOTE=gaydemon;72115]

Say you want to use a mp4 clip on a site instead of flash, what would you use to play it? FlowPlayer?[/QUOTE]

Flowplayer and JW player can both serve mp4 files. h264 encoded mp4 look really good, what’s what we encode our trailers with: www.lollipoptwinks.com

We also have just finished creating mobile versions of all our sites, we’re adding the redirect code on the sites in the next few days. Right now if you visit lollipoptwinks with a mobile device, you’ll get the mobile version, and you can switch to the PC version with a link at the bottom.

#32

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

[QUOTE=gaydemon;71946]I’m sure it’s a growing market as it’s quite new, but why would anyone choose watching porn on a mobile with a small screen if they have a choice? i.e if they are at home or have a laptop next to them, would anyone still choose the mobile, and why?

Sorry yes, it’s off topic but as you discovered Rawtop, that’s good sometimes. ;)[/QUOTE]

Bjorn, I think maybe you should get an iPhone. I got mine just for that reason: to see what iphone surfers are seeing and get the hang of the browsing experience on an iPhone. An investment in market research, if you like.

I have a choice at home, between a desktop with a huge screen, a laptop and an iphone and I still watch movies on my iPhone. I think the key word here is availability. It’s just there, at the palm of your hand, as you go into bed, the lights are out. With the laptop, I need to open it, set it up steadily, make sure it doesn’t topple over, position it somewhere comfortably and safely on the bed, then wait for Windows vista to come up. I can’t just stretch on the bed any way I want either - have to stay in the same position through out the movie. With the iphone, it’s just a click on the screen, lying any way I want, under the covers, above, upside down, you name it. When I get tired, I just flick it off and put it next to me. I got several of my favorite TV shows on the iphone, and movies too - and I go through them one at a time.

Even more available when it comes to porn. You can use earphones or just mute it and watch porn anywhere. Under your desk at work even. on trains, waiting in your car - always with you and much more private and less cumbersome than a laptop.

Thing is, as Luke mentioned, the website needs to be designed for iPhone. I find myself browsing iphone compatible sites like about.com and wikipedia just for fun. Large fonts and the kind of interface that makes it easy for you to finger-browse and you’re hooked.

#33

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

[QUOTE=tigermom;72172]Bjorn, I think maybe you should get an iPhone. I got mine just for that reason: to see what iphone surfers are seeing and get the hang of the browsing experience on an iPhone. An investment in market research, if you like.

I have a choice at home, between a desktop with a huge screen, a laptop and an iphone and I still watch movies on my iPhone. I think the key word here is availability. It’s just there, at the palm of your hand, as you go into bed, the lights are out. With the laptop, I need to open it, set it up steadily, make sure it doesn’t topple over, position it somewhere comfortably and safely on the bed, then wait for Windows vista to come up. I can’t just stretch on the bed any way I want either - have to stay in the same position through out the movie. With the iphone, it’s just a click on the screen, lying any way I want, under the covers, above, upside down, you name it. When I get tired, I just flick it off and put it next to me. I got several of my favorite TV shows on the iphone, and movies too - and I go through them one at a time.

Even more available when it comes to porn. You can use earphones or just mute it and watch porn anywhere. Under your desk at work even. on trains, waiting in your car - always with you and much more private and less cumbersome than a laptop.

Thing is, as Luke mentioned, the website needs to be designed for iPhone. I find myself browsing iphone compatible sites like about.com and wikipedia just for fun. Large fonts and the kind of interface that makes it easy for you to finger-browse and you’re hooked.[/QUOTE]

Thank you that’s the best explenation I’ve heard so far. I understand now… I think… :slight_smile:

So what makes a site Iphone friendly? Rawtop asked for existing ones but how do you make sure to design one?

You mention Large fonts… Easy Interface, in what way?

#34

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

Thats why I got my iPhone AND iPad the day it was released :wink:

#35

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

But can you use a Iphone without a mobile phone account? I don’t mind buying a Iphone but I don’t want yet another mobile phone contact… Or does the Iphone only really need wireless broadband to work at home (without phone ofcourse)?

#36

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

I just checked prices here in the UK.

Iphone 4 costs almost $800!!! Jesus… I’m never paying that much for anything from crappy Apple! That’s just insane. :no:

#37

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

Just buy an ipod touch, it’s exactly the same as the iphone, but wifi only. You can get a used one for very cheap too :slight_smile:

#38

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

Oh really? Same browser any everyhing? I did buy a couple of those for my nephews as they were not terribly expensive.

That’s Excellent, thank you!

#39

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

[QUOTE=gaydemon;72187]Oh really? Same browser any everyhing? I did buy a couple of those for my nephews as they were not terribly expensive.

That’s Excellent, thank you![/QUOTE]

Same browser, same OS :slight_smile: I’d recommend the ipod touch 3G (latest) cause they surf much faster, but from ipod touch 2G they support the newest iOS4

#40

Re: Which Mobile Sites Are iPhone Friendly?

second that… iPod = iPhone without phone