How do I redirect users to my mobile site within WP?
- Thread starter Toocoo82
- Start date
sapo
Power Member
- Feb 25, 2008
- 510
- 286
ukescuba
Senior Member
- Feb 24, 2008
- 994
- 640
We offer both a free and commercial mobile redirect plugin for Wordpress - the paid one has many more features than your average redirect plugin and has a couple of useful bonuses i wont link to as i dont want anyone to think this as an advertisement, i will eventually get round to doing a BST thread 
Alternatively if your not scared of getting into the code you could use something like this:
Replace yourdomainhere.com with the url you want mobile visitors to go to...
This uses a combination of javascript screen size detection and user agent detection specifically the detection of androids... we found an issue with screen size detection on new androids.
You would place this code in your header.php right before the </head> tag
I personally prefer php based user agent detection over javascript screensize detection - some older phones simply cant handle javascript...
What i have found with a number of the free wordpress mobile redirect plugins is that they do not facilitate the ability for the mobile user to go back to the main desktop site from the mobile site
People dismiss user agent detection for simple redirection however you can use it for a lot more than just that, using user agent detection to deliver the most compatible content to the mobile device will just give your mobile visitor a much better user experience.
In addition to both javascript redirection and php user agent detection you can also use a .htaccess file, this is a good solution if you really do not want to mess around with the clients website, however be warned you can easily disable your clients site if your .htaccess file is misconfigured! LOL
Please note that the Google Mobile Search Bot will not recognize the javascript redirect and likely ignore it, however that is not the case for PHP User Agent Detection based scripts if they are of course configured properly....
I read a lot of people comment on why even bother with a separate mobile website and why not use a responsive design... well a lot of clients with existing sites, cant afford or dont want a brand new website designed thats responsive, they want to keep there existing site. Secondly whilst responside design is great and looks great its typically not really that mobile friendly, the code is bloated, and Google who have spent a lot of time and money developing their Google Mobile Bots and the Go Mo initiative currently do not recognize a responsive design as being mobile and will rank the site just like any other regular desktop website in the SERPS...
Google has both a search portal for Smartphones and non Smartphones ie Feature phones - here in the US Smartphone figures are fast approaching 50% accountability - which still leaves a large number of feature phones that are capable of connecting to the internet and browsing but dont dismiss non Smartphones as the old school flip phones, there is still a large number of blackberries, and also android devices that dont have touch screen functionality and dont fall into the category of smartphone. The portal for Google Non Smartphones, google.com/m will list mobile websites that correctly validate to XHTML MP with a small green handset icon next to their listing in the SERPS, validating to XHTML MP is something a responsive design isnt going to be able to do. Am hoping at some point Google will start to roll our similar mobile friendly sites listed on Google Search for Smartphones, currently it doesn't...
As technology progresses with smartphones reaching a much higher threshold and more phones having 4G LTE or higher conenctionspeeds, and bandwith limits being raised you will see a big lean towards HTML5 powered mobile websites and web apps, with more implementation of things like jQuery Mobile... right here right now as much i would love to push all our clients that way we would be simply alienating a good number of visitors, however i expect that shift to be in the next 12 to 18 months fingers crossed...
Mobile in general is a great niche to be in and has a great looking future ahead - i have personally been involved with mobile since well before the dot mobile domain came about and the iphone was a twinkle in Steve Jobs eye building back then dynamic WAP sites. In fact i pretty completely changed the direction of my business towards concentrating on mobile marketing, we used to do extemely well with SEO and web development but for me the money is in Mobile.
Hope that helps
Uke
Alternatively if your not scared of getting into the code you could use something like this:
Code:
<script type="text/javascript">
if (screen.width < 1024 || navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase().indexOf('android')!=-1)
(window.location.replace("http://www.yourdomainhere.com"));
</script>Replace yourdomainhere.com with the url you want mobile visitors to go to...
This uses a combination of javascript screen size detection and user agent detection specifically the detection of androids... we found an issue with screen size detection on new androids.
You would place this code in your header.php right before the </head> tag
I personally prefer php based user agent detection over javascript screensize detection - some older phones simply cant handle javascript...
What i have found with a number of the free wordpress mobile redirect plugins is that they do not facilitate the ability for the mobile user to go back to the main desktop site from the mobile site
People dismiss user agent detection for simple redirection however you can use it for a lot more than just that, using user agent detection to deliver the most compatible content to the mobile device will just give your mobile visitor a much better user experience.
In addition to both javascript redirection and php user agent detection you can also use a .htaccess file, this is a good solution if you really do not want to mess around with the clients website, however be warned you can easily disable your clients site if your .htaccess file is misconfigured! LOL
Please note that the Google Mobile Search Bot will not recognize the javascript redirect and likely ignore it, however that is not the case for PHP User Agent Detection based scripts if they are of course configured properly....
I read a lot of people comment on why even bother with a separate mobile website and why not use a responsive design... well a lot of clients with existing sites, cant afford or dont want a brand new website designed thats responsive, they want to keep there existing site. Secondly whilst responside design is great and looks great its typically not really that mobile friendly, the code is bloated, and Google who have spent a lot of time and money developing their Google Mobile Bots and the Go Mo initiative currently do not recognize a responsive design as being mobile and will rank the site just like any other regular desktop website in the SERPS...
Google has both a search portal for Smartphones and non Smartphones ie Feature phones - here in the US Smartphone figures are fast approaching 50% accountability - which still leaves a large number of feature phones that are capable of connecting to the internet and browsing but dont dismiss non Smartphones as the old school flip phones, there is still a large number of blackberries, and also android devices that dont have touch screen functionality and dont fall into the category of smartphone. The portal for Google Non Smartphones, google.com/m will list mobile websites that correctly validate to XHTML MP with a small green handset icon next to their listing in the SERPS, validating to XHTML MP is something a responsive design isnt going to be able to do. Am hoping at some point Google will start to roll our similar mobile friendly sites listed on Google Search for Smartphones, currently it doesn't...
As technology progresses with smartphones reaching a much higher threshold and more phones having 4G LTE or higher conenctionspeeds, and bandwith limits being raised you will see a big lean towards HTML5 powered mobile websites and web apps, with more implementation of things like jQuery Mobile... right here right now as much i would love to push all our clients that way we would be simply alienating a good number of visitors, however i expect that shift to be in the next 12 to 18 months fingers crossed...
Mobile in general is a great niche to be in and has a great looking future ahead - i have personally been involved with mobile since well before the dot mobile domain came about and the iphone was a twinkle in Steve Jobs eye building back then dynamic WAP sites. In fact i pretty completely changed the direction of my business towards concentrating on mobile marketing, we used to do extemely well with SEO and web development but for me the money is in Mobile.
Hope that helps
Uke
Last edited:
makingthecoin
Newbie
- Apr 30, 2012
- 5
- 1
There is a plugin for this on WP. Believe it is called WP touch pro
ukescuba
Senior Member
- Feb 24, 2008
- 994
- 640
WP Touch Pro is not a redirect plugin - it simply renders the blog posts of Wordpress in a more accessible layout designed for mobile devices, it does not however provide any out of the box support for features such as tap to call, for business this is not a particularly a good solution...
Top1position
BANNED
- May 11, 2012
- 183
- 3
We provide both a no price and professional cellular redouble system for Wordpress platforms techniques systems - the compensated for one has many more functions than your consistent redouble system and has a wide range of useful advantages i probably won't weblink to as i don't want anyone to think this as an marketing, i will gradually get circular to doing a BST thread