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Chances are you’ve been contemplating the mobile friendliness of your website. In fact, you’ve probably tested it out on a gadget or two only to find that it’s a painful experience.

A tipping point is building in the mobile market. Several new mobile tablets are set to release since the iPad came to market. And speaking of that pesky little gadget, the iPad is being sold everywhere from T.J. Maxx to Target.

Needless to say, the market for mobile web browsing is growing. But don’t jump into building a whole new site just yet. If building a new version of your website or a fancy mobile app are not in your future (or your budget), there are several simple things you can do that will allow it to transmit easier to a mobile device.

In fact, most of these steps rely on best practices in web anyhow. So, if you don’t already have a grip on your website, use the growing mobile market as your excuse to get started! Even if you’ve done your research, and don’t have much of a mobile user market, these tips can still benefit your site.

Use Flash, cookies and images sparingly.

This is an oldie but goodie. There is a limited amount of bandwidth available when browsing the web on a mobile device -- much less than a standard computer. If you build your homepage using Flash, it will not be easily viewable on a mobile browser for obvious reasons. Sending cookies is also a drag on bandwidth, and according the WC3, the data a server can glean from a mobile user is minimal. Tons of or high res images will also paralyze a mobile web experience. So, be strategic about your content and make sure it is serving a functional purpose before you put it on your homepage.

Center your main content.

(Image from www.DesignReviver.com) 

Web content (especially on the homepage) should be centered as best as it can be without compromising your message or design. Mobile screens are really small, but don’t go overboard. You obviously don’t want your homepage to be compromised in a normal browser. It's all about finding that balance. If you have to, test out how your site’s main message appears using a few different mobile testing applications, like iPad Peek or the W3C mobileOK Checker.

Make sure content is short and concise.

Create content that is sweet and to the point. Take a look back at your messaging and make sure it serves a functional purpose. Take a cold, hard look at what kind of job your content is doing. If it’s fluff, get rid of it, shorten it or find a way to make your point quicker. Web writing is all about grabbing short attention spans. In fact, you’ve probably already moved on to the next point.

To app or not to app?

The above tip is obviously not valid for primarily content-based sites, such as blogs or publications. In that case, it may make sense to develop a mobile reader app or add a handy plug-in to your blog. There are a ton of them out there, especially for WordPress. Most mobile apps make it easier to read longer form content on a mobile device by formatting it into a scrollable feed.

If you have a basic website and you’re planning on having an app developed to respond to the mobile market, really think about what it can offer. It should give a user a unique experience, not just send them to a different version of your website. 

Increase the spaces between links.

For the not so nimble, traversing a website using a touch screen like the iPad can be a harrowing experience when links on a page are structured too closely together. Pay special attention to the way your links are organized. Again, test them using one of the mobile testing applications is probably the best way to find out if your links are user-friendly. Don't assume every user has a key pad.

Increase the size of call to action buttons. 

I would like to preface this by saying, everything in moderation, people. No giant, blinking call to action buttons, please. They wouldn't blink on an iPhone anyhow. Make sure they are large enough to see, and select, on a touch screen device.

Are there any other ways you've found to make your website more mobile friendly? Are you still wrestling with whether or not you need to develop an app for your website? Let us know in the comments below. 

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