Top tips for taking your blog mobile

It’s time to take that last step and go mobile. Your competition is already there with nice, neat, accessible and entertaining blogs. Just because you’re online doesn’t mean your readers are compelled to visit you from their smartphones. You have to make it simple and enjoyable for them.

Why go mobile?

There is a reason people use mobile apps instead of opening clunky browsers on their phones and looking up information as they would on a desktop computer. People turn to mobile apps because they are easy. You can click your way to an entertainment news post as you wait on a bus. You can thumb through recipes on your favorite cooking blog as you do your grocery shopping. You can pull up a quotable news blog as you argue politics with your uncle.

And then there are the benefits to the person or company behind the blog. You can grow your audience and your brand awareness by being accessible. You can make yourself a fixture on the phones of members of your target demographic.

Your mobile blog can be a great asset to you for marketing and name recognition, as long as you present an aesthetically pleasing, simple-to-use option for your readers.

How do I get started?

Let’s say you’re in the business of packaging. You’re an expert in sustainable packaging ideas, not developing. Not to worry. You have plenty of software options for blogging for mobile devices.

Many blogging applications have been predesigned for mobile use. WordPress, for example, is very smartphone-friendly. Not only can readers easily view your blog, but you can write and publish directly from your own smartphone. Tumblr has similar features, although blog posts are not as neatly indexed, and it reads more like a Facebook newsfeed. I would recommend Tumblr only for a personal blog.

You can also use apps tailored to your business. Mee Templates specialises in multiple blogging themes beyond different backgrounds. Layouts and navigation vary to give the blogs unique looks. Many private Web development companies also specialize in smartphone apps that feature blogs.

Should my writing style change?

The short answer is no. If you can read a blog post from a computer screen, you can read it from a smartphone. However, consider breaking up your paragraphs more frequently. An average block of computer screen text could appear enormous on a smartphone. Keep paragraphs no longer than two or three sentences, and let all quotes stand alone in their own paragraphs.

Also, be mindful of relativity and the proximity of text to a corresponding photo or graphic. If a photo is to the right of a text block on your screen, it might not be that way on a mobile device, so be careful with phrases like, “… according to the chart to the right.”

Remember that you’re dealing with a smaller screen space and, oftentimes, limited bandwidth. Use images sparingly. Finally, your mobile blog should be simply indexed, easily searched and quickly read. Think drop-down menus and archives cataloged by date. If you blog about products, divide them by topic: automotive lifts in one category and hydraulic pumps in another.

If you have advice for a blogger looking to take his or her operation to a mobile platform, please feel free to comment below. I’d also be interested in hearing any other suggestions for simplified blog-hosting applications.