THE BASICS

• Who to Design For
  • Types of Devices
  • Types of Browsers
  • Mark-Up
• Actions
• Specs

MARK-UP

"Creating basic mobile-specific Web sites using XHTML is as simple as coding a basic HTML site." ¹ Paying attention to your code in the beginning will save you a lot of headaches down the road. There are a few specific points to remember when coding your page:

• Do not use tables for your layout. Nested tables are not friendly to a mobile device.
• Place your navigation in the body of your content. Since everything is linear on a mobile device, side navigation isn't properly represented. "You should show only navigation that's relevant to the page, therby reducing page weight and scrolling." ²
• Use access keys in your primary navigation. This will help give the user key-pad short cuts. However, remember you can only use the numbers 0-9, so use them wisely!
• You can link phone numbers! Just as you would link and email, phone number can be linked for users to make a quick call.
• Avoid long and complex forms. People have to type them in with their key pad or QWERTY keyboard and it can be time consuming and frustrating if they make a mistake and have to start over.

^{1, 2} .mobi, "Mobile Web Developer's Guide," http://dev.mobi/.