Before getting to the list of WordPress plugins to make your blog mobile friendly, take a look at these statistics to understand why this is so important. As of now, there are 239 million internet users in the US alone. Smartphone users now number 106.7 million and the total number of non-landline phone users have jumped to 242.6 million. This stat fest should be enough to hammer home the point that blogs not offering a phone version are making a fatal mistake. So how does it work? Just use the plug-ins listed below.
- WP Mobile Pack: This is a full toolkit to “mobilize” WP-based blogs and sites. The main feature is a switcher that allows site visitors to select between desktop and phone themes. It remembers the choice and will stick to it for repeat visitors, but still allows them to change if they want to.
It can present distinct themes based on the type of device being used so that the theme shown matches phone models and sizes. From the publisher’s angle, it offers a WP-Admin panel for editing and creating posts using phones. It also manages ad widgets and analytics to track phone users separately.
- WP Mobile Detector: A powerful and visually appealing plug-in, it has 9 themes and comes with a theme editor. It detects over 5000 devices and will even re-size images to match the device. It comes with multi-lingual support and can touch-optimize the site.
- Mobile Press: A simple and easy to use plug-in, this one provides two themes and the ability to customize them. The positive aspect is that phone views can be tested without domain mapping. It is smart enough to detect mobile search bots and divert them to the phone version, so that the phone site is search optimized.
- Mobilize: This is among the top free WP plug-ins for creating phone-friendly blogs and websites without actually having to do it. Site owners simply customize the settings on Mippin’s web-based platform. Once the plug-in is installed on the blog, any phone user automatically gets redirected to the web platform and is shown the phone version.
- WP Touch Pro: The pro version of WP Touch is currently one of the top WordPress plugins to make your blog mobile friendly. It offers a ready-made framework for creating custom phone and tablet themes. Everything from colors and logos to images and fonts can be easily modified with no coding required. It can even hide or show specific features in a theme. Combine all this with the ability to detect devices, and it is the ideal plug-in for creating distinct themes for all the major phone types used to access blogs and websites.
About Kathy Baka
Kathy Baka Founder & Editor of Review Crushers Social Media & Internet Marketing. Helping Small Businesses Find the Best Resources Online While Educating Clients - for more post by me view them here or contact me through the links below.
I had no clue that so many plugins are available for WordPress to make your blog readable in smartphone. This is a very informative and useful post. I think it will come handy for every blogger who doesn’t know about this.
Jane recently posted..Sterling Silver Diamond Cat in Heart Pendant
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I’ve been using the standard WPTouch, but have noticed that I get a decent amount of mobile traffic as indicated by my last long night with Google Analytics. How well would WP Touch Pro and WP Mobile Detector work together? I’m trying to minimize my plugin use so that my blog loads as fast as possible. Thanks for the help.
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I am new to mobile wordpress and I am very thankful that I have come across with your blog Kathy. I just installed WP Touch Pro. Looks beautiful because it actually looks like my site on a desktop! I guess I’m a late comer to this party. I’m glad that I am not yet late to try this awesome plugins.
~Kaci
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This is the new trend now. Plugins in your mobile for your blog. Amazing,really amazing. I will try it with my iphone. Thanks
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Twitter: NBA snapback Hats
says:
I really like this line up. All of these choices make your mobile site so beautiful.
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Thanks for the tip-ff on WP Mobile Pack. I’ve been looking for some kind of plugin to cater for the increasing amount of mobile visitors and I think that might just be the one for the job.
Laila recently posted..The do’s and don’ts of borrowing a computer
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Kathy Baka Reply:
April 17th, 2012 at 8:57 am
Laila,
Its always nice to have a mobile version to your site with option to change views if desired. I am glad you found what you needed!
Thanks for commenting!
Kathy Baka recently posted..Simple Steps To Make A Fan Page On Facebook
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Twitter: makemoneyinlife
says:
These are some really good plugins, I will try some of them.I really appreciate your blog and all the topics you have posted to help.
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Twitter: EndlessRise_Inc
says:
One of the tips that you would here from the people in online marketing forums would be having a website that’s friendly to all types of browsers, whether they’re accessed via a desktop computer, a laptop, or a mobile phone. I think these plug-ins would definitely do the trick to make your website look great when they’re accessed using a mobile device.
= Gerald Martin =
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Twitter: coolelectronix2
says:
Thanks Kathy. Moments ago I just installed WP Mobile Pack. The whole process was rather painless I must say! Yes agreed making your site mobile friendly is absolutely important!
Michelle recently posted..HP Eprint Stole My Gran’s Famous Cookie Recipe!
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