Website with not all pages for mobile

[Arpeggio]

I'm working on mobile 640px and 480px versions of my orginally 955px desktop only website, but some of the webpages are not suited to 480px. That would be all of the pages linked here: http://www.guitar-book.com/guitar-tips.htm

For the mobile version of that webpage I'm thinking of having a statement like: "Sorry these webpages have more complex layout and are only suited to larger screens such as Tablet or Desktop and are not optimized for mobile" with no links to those pages.

What I am unsure of is what to do with those mobile webpages on Xara11? I can't delete these webpages for mobile version only, as doing so deletes the version for Tablet and Desktop too. Otherwise I could put the Tablet version onto the mobile version too (so that when you make your web browser small enough it just stays on that), I could also delete all the content on the mobile versions for these webpages so they are blank.

I am curious how this is interpreted by search engines? There will be no links to any of the tutorial pages from the mobile version (only the statement I mentioned at the top of the last paragraph), so in effect those pages won't exist in mobile as they won't be crawlable (as far as I know), yet they still exist as a dynamic version of the other dynamic 640px and 955px versions.

[Egg Bramhill]

Just experiment.

On the pages you don't want delivered on the 480 version remove all content and place something like "Not for mobile display" or similar.

Only have the pages you require to be viewed on the mobile linked by the navbar.

Publish

https://www.google.co.uk/webmasters/...bile-friendly/

Is google happy?

Use Webmaster tools to see how your pages are indexed by Google.

[Arpeggio]

Thanks for the input Egg. Good I'll do that, only mobile suitable pages will be linked to on the mobile version. I will keep that aforementioned contents page accessible on the mobile version with a statement "like please view these on larger screens" just so people know those pages exist for when they use a Desktop or Tablet. Whichever way I'm sure it's better than not having a dynamic website at all and google's test can always tell me more.

[pauland]

Personally I don't agree with the strategy at all.

Make a site (in addition to the desktop site) that is just for mobile and switch to that for mobiles.

The idea of linking in pages and then disappointing the user is not going to deliver a great experience.

You don't need the complexity of a full-blown desktop site for mobile - you just need enough for people to know what you do and buy your books.

"please view these on larger screens": I have yet to see a mobile web design book that suggests that advice. When I do find it, I'll ask for my money back.

What's easy to do for a web designer doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

I hope you'll rethink the strategy.

[gwpriester]

I'm with Paul

Mobile sites are totally different from desktop/browser sites. First and foremost is screen size followed closely by reduced bandwidth.

An effective mobile site is much simpler than a full browser site. You can try to incorporate every bit of content from your main website but the result is the pages will load slowly and there is a very good chance, your visitor will be long gone by the time the page loads.

Prune out all but the most important information and if you can get by without a graphic or photo, then do so.

[Egg Bramhill]

I believe we're arguing over nothing here guys. Arpeggio stated:

For the mobile version of that webpage I'm thinking of having a statement like: "Sorry these webpages have more complex layout and are only suited to larger screens such as Tablet or Desktop and are not optimized for mobile" with no links to those pages.

So he's stating the pages will not be served on a mobile device. Hence my suggestion you just add "Not for mobile display" so you as the creator have a clue why the page is blank, not the visitor, as it will never be available to them.

[pauland]

Sorry Egg, even with the explanation I don't follow what you are saying.

[Egg Bramhill]

Hi Paul, Arpeggio stated that some pages wouldn't be served to the mobile variant as there would be no links from the mobile navbar to them. I merely stated that rather than just delete these pages content he added "Not for mobile display" to remind himself these pages wouldn't be served up.

[pauland]

OK, I see. I think it would be better to remove those pages on the mobile version, even if they aren't served.

If I'm still missing something, I'll just give up!

[Miko]

If you remove the variant page, then is also removes it from the main pages. Unless there is a way of stopping this happening? I just leave them blank with no link to them.