Writing for Mobile Devices

Mobile Business Communication A MONUMENTAL SHIFT IN THE WAY PEOPLE ARE COMMUNICATING Bovée & Thill Writing for Mobile Devices Use linear organization Aveid complex leyouts which wil reguire signiticant zoeming and panning on a umall sereen: they will frustrate yaur reeders. abdcd abc abcdefghijklmno abc- Write shorter and more focused messages and documents Prioritize information Use the inverted pyramid styles neveal the mast Tailor yaur content to be abaorbed in shart burstn; mabile users often lack he polionce er oppertusity te read lengthy mesnogen. If necesary, compose en additional, mare detuled document that readers can access via PC. importent informefion in the first paregraph, then provide successive layers af detail On a umall ureen, it is erveial te make it ensy for reeders to find whet they want at a glance. Aa maximum 25 Use shorter paragraphs Den't make your reeders swipe through srean after soeen at salid tt. Frequent paragraph breaks make for mere engaging witing Use shorter subject lines and headings Limit subject ines and headlines to around 25 characters; make every wond count. Unique Challenges of Communication on Mobile Devices Aa: 1x 2x Screen size and resolution Input technologies Even for an accompilished tester, a mabile key- board end stylus is ne match For e full-sired keyboard ond movse. Vole recegnitian pro- vides e petertial wey around this limitatian. While reeders can reom in to reed tent end examine visuals, their inability ta viewa decument in s entirety con make it more difficut fer them te gresp its meaning Bandwidth, speed, and connectivity limitations The speed ond quelity ef mebile connetiens very widely by device. corrier, service plan, and geographic location; connedions cen olso suller during perieds of high demand. aal Data usage and operational costs Not all carriers affer unlimited date plans, and even unilimited plans can be subject ta bendwidth thretting. which reduces the speed of users' eenectons.