The W3C, the international body that formulates web standards, has come up with a set of extended mobile web best practices guidelines, that could prove particularly handy to news sites because of the range of content they deliver to different kinds of mobile devices.

The W3C had come up with a set of guidelines in 2008 and I had written about these: Expert advice on mobile best practices and Mobile web good design practices: the list.

These have also been released as a set of flip cards; the download links can be had from the earlier posts. This graphic on the right sums up the guidelines in brief.
Source: W3C

So what do the extended guidelines add to what has been stated earlier? I’ll reproduce some of the points here, just a few of them.

Background image readability: "The use of colored, patterned or photographic background images can make text hard to read both because of reduced device screen contrast and because of the context of use, in bright sunlight for example, reducing the perceived contrast." (Be careful when background images are used!)

Balance: "If there is a large number of links in the page, users of devices that can only navigate by successive selection of links will find it difficult to scroll the page and use links that are lower down." (Be wary of too many links!)

Central meaning: "When accessing a page on a mobile device, the primary content should be visible. This means that the well-established layout for desktop devices, with navigation along the top and/or side of the page, is usually inappropriate."

Suitable, limited and clarity: "Informational content should be provided in a manner suitable for access on mobile, i.e. with an eye to quick assimilation by the user, rather than in a verbose style."

Content format preferred: "If a device supports one format better than another, it is preferable to deliver content in the better-supported format if possible."

Control labeling and position: "It is dangerous to assume that the same layout will be presented to all users of mobile devices. It is important therefore to ensure that input elements are correctly labeled so that the association between label and input (end) element is retained even if the layout is changed."

Navbar: Ensure that the navigation bar, consisting of basic options, is positioned above the main content.

Navigation: Ensure consistency in navigation.

Non-text alternatives: Provide textual description for elements such as images and maps.

Objects or scripts: "Verify that the document can be viewed or used, with objects or scripts inactive or removed, without any change in the function, or value of the content, of the page.

Page size usable: Break into pages content that is longer than three screen lengths. "

Tables layout: Try to use CSS rather than tables for layout, if possible.

Tables support: Verify that the table element is not found within the source code if the device does not support tables.

Use of color: Do not use color as the sole means of conveying information.

Related posts:
1. Optimizing the mobile web with stylesheets
2. A new ‘mobile OK checker’