With all of the press around the iPad many website owners are wondering whether it make sense to invest the effort to create an iPad version of their website. That decision comes down to three questions:

1. Does the iPad demographic match my demographic?
2. Are users going to use the iPad to surf my site?
3. Does my current website work well on the iPad?

Who are iPad users?

User evaluation is crucial to the development of any website. In the case of the iPad it is important to understand if your demographics match the demographics of the people who own the iPad. As with most new tech products the demographics of the early adopters will be different than the owners after the market when the product has reached maturity. Right now we are in the early adopter phase. Like the launch of many new types of devices the current owners of the iPad are tech savvy, wealthy, and younger (the majority fall into the 18-34 age bracket). If the iPad becomes as successful as other Apple products, this demographic will increasingly generalize and probably look more like the iPhone or iPod demographic. The question of how the market will evolve has a lot to do with what set of users are looking for the third device.

The “Third Device”

For most users the iPad is a “third device”, used to compliment a laptop/desktop and a mobile/cellar device. The iPad is not intended to replace either the standard computer or the cell phone, but rather to offer the benefits of both in a third device. Generally, iPad users are not going to be using it for “serious work”; the ipad will be used for casual activities. Whether they are shopping, social networking, or reading; the device is ideally suited for lounging on the deck or curled up in bed activities.

Will they come?

We could easily argue that all website should have a iPad friendly site, but not everyone has that kind of budget. As a website owner you need to evaluate the environment and the types of tasks that user perform your website. If your site is almost always going to be used in a cubicle, then you can probably ignore the iPad. If you site is oftened surfed in PJs, then you should be planning your iPad approach. Your analytics will prove out how important the iPad is over the next few months, but you should start planning now.

How well does my site perform?

Understanding how well your site currently performs on an iPad is essential for deciding your approach toward the iPad. Browsing on an Ipad is very different from browsing on a desktop, here are some key differences you should consider for your current site.

• Flash — As has been well publicized, the iPad does not support flash. So whether you use flash for animations, video, ads, or games creating an iPad (and iPhone) friendly site requires the use of alternative methods for content delivery.
• Links and Hover — Users interact with the iPad and other tablets using their finger not a mouse. While clicking is the same, hovering is not an option. As a result you need to make sure your links are clear without hover effects and that pulldown menus work by click instead of just by hover.
• Font Sizing — What looks good on the screen does not seem to hold up on the iPad. The iPad has a higher resolution for its size, 130 dpi, than most laptop and desktop monitors (typical 80-110 dpi), but lower than most smart phone like the Moto Android (264 dpi), or iPhone (160 dpi). The result of the higher density is that fonts will appear much smaller. Where 12px on the screen is perfect 14px or 15px will be more appropriate for the iPhone.
• Orientation — This is the most complicated issue. The iPad is designed to be flipped, so user will both view your site in landscape and portrait mode. Your site may look great in one and bad in the other. Whether you implement a fluid design, orientation specific CSS or a static site, orientation is a challenge that needs to be overcome.

The iPad and similar devices are going to grow in popularity in coming years. All companies will need to create an approach that delivers a well crafted website, no matter what the device is used to get there.