Is Your Website Apple iPhone Compatible?

Internet technology and marketing trends change change rapidly. Twelve years ago Google was nary a thought in some one's head and now they eclipse the Gross National Product of most countries.

The next big wave is coming...

If you've yet to hear of an iPhone™ -- Then you better sit down.

On June 29, 2007 Apple Inc. is set to release the iPhone. It is a touch screen cellular phone that can surf the Internet at near broadband speeds. For all intents and purposes, they built a pocket-sized Macintosh with the handiest connection to the Internet yet.

What is the impact?

Only a small segment of Internet traffic will be surfing with any intensity from an iPhone for the foreseeable future. That being said, this technology will likely impact businesses in the next 6-9 months.

Most businesses rely on some portion of their business from one of the iPhone's target audience. You should reconsider your web presence if you sell goods to any of the following marketing (more obvious) segments:

1. Young people between the ages of 20 and 35
2. Affluent teenagers
3. The traveling "jet-set"
4. "Mobile" employees who do a portion of their work on a "work site"

Segments 1, 2, and 3 are obvious. These people tend to be the technological trend setters and the first to absorb the latest technology. You need to act quickly if this is your core market.
The problematic segment 4
Segment 4 is less obvious but it concerns us the most. Segments 1-3 are used to new technology so they will absorb a few glitches in trade for the coolest technology. Segment 4 folks generally represent trend followers so they may be forced into this new position and therefore they're not receptive to bugs.

Think in terms of the real estate at a home site with a client. They need information from an MLS listing and they need it now. The sites they visit on the way had better work on their phone.

Or possibly the remodeling contractor compiling estimates, the electrician ordering product, the surveyor updating maps, or the Over The Road trucker away from home.

All of these examples represent a demanding web visitor with a smaller tech. pain threshold - it needs to work. Some of them will have just received their new iPhone and they're under duress to integrate it into their routine.

Their FIRST VISIT to you make the difference between a frustrating departure or a lasting client relationship.

How do I get on board?

The iPhone has two primary issues when it comes to surfing the web (versus a desktop computer) :

1. Slower download speeds
2. Small screen resolution

Both of these issues can be mitigated by judicious use of style sheets to control the user experience with your website.

Download speeds - As broadband Internet becomes more prevalent, it becomes easier to forget that a solid portion of visitors are connecting at sub-broadband speeds. Remember that the latest and greatest is fine for certain markets but dial-up and mobile connection rates demand a fast website.

Screen resolution - The wide-screen iPhone has a screen resolution of 320 by 480 pixels. The interface allows you to zoom out to see an entire page and the touch-screen enables left to right scrolling.

We encourage you to develop your new iPhone web design in a way that senses the mobile visitor and shows them a website with as little scrolling as possible on their iPhone.

Make it work for the iPhone

Build your website to load fast and scroll less and your visitors will appreciate it. There are also new JavaScript plugins which will recognize the iPhone's mobile browser and serve a mobile version of the site.