A Look at Facebook Mobile

A Look at Facebook Mobile Vizion Interactive Reading Time: 4 minutes

Social media is one of the most popular internet points today. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others have grown over the years to become top sites for social media and social networking.

Now everything has gone mobile because of the rise in the use of smartphones and other mobile devices. What does mobile mean? When you’re on Facebook Mobile, are you still on Facebook? These questions are cropping up more and seek answers.

What Is Facebook Mobile?

Facebook Mobile is a way to access Facebook from your mobile device, such as a smartphone, without having a special app. This means you can open your phone’s internet browser and login to Facebook through the internet as you would on a computer.

This provides ease of access for people who want to check their social media without downloading apps that can clog your phone and destroy your battery life. This free version of Facebook provides almost all the features of the website through the browser on your phone.

Facebook Mobile vs. the Facebook Website

Facebook Mobile has several differences from the website, but still works equally well. For instance, the Facebook website provides a three-column view for the newsfeed, apps, and advertisements. Facebook Mobile cannot provide this due to the smartphone’s smaller screen,  which only allows space for the newsfeed.

This restriction allows users to see updated statuses, but much of the other content isn’t on the page. Facebook Mobile also allows users to update their status and add new wall posts via text or picture mail. Having this option means you can keep your social media updated on the go.

You can view a friend’s updates and pictures and continue to post your own with the web browser on your phone. These positive sides are all great for users on the go, but there is a downside to Facebook Mobile.

Facebook Apps

Many Facebook users turn to the apps available for gaming on the website. These users will find disappointment with Facebook apps, because they are not compatible with mobile browsers. What does that mean for the gamers on Facebook? You simply cannot play your games on your phone.

However, some Facebook game developers create their own apps and users are able to play on their phones in that regard. However, the mobile apps are not always the same and may have a different look or gameplay.

With the mobile apps for games, users can still play, but may be disappointed in the game quality with the mobile app. Unfortunately, Facebook Mobile has not found a way to support their apps through Mobile workings.

The Good and Bad of Facebook Mobile

Facebook Mobile many points include both the good and the bad. It’s just a matter of what you’re looking for. It’s up to you to determine if the good points are worth giving it a try:

  • From a marketing standpoint, the mobile site makes targeting an audience easier for advertising. With the mobile site being so compact, your ads can show up in the newsfeed for optimum visuals.
  • From a user standpoint, your social media is at your fingertips no matter where you are. Updating your status is easier than ever with use of text and picture mail to make it happen.

While these points are not very large in writing, they are a significant part of what people look at. Advertisers see a space available on the mobile site embedded in your newsfeed to show you a product. As users, you see the ability to update your status from your mobile device by a multitude of means. It’s not about logging in on your phone’s browser anymore. You can text or send a picture to Facebook if you want to update your status.

Now it’s time to see if the good outweighs the bad:

  • From a marketing standpoint; there are more devices you have to format for, you’ve found a more specific market to target, and your ad options are much more limited than on the website.
  • From a user standpoint; you can’t open any Facebook Apps unless you’ve downloaded them from your phone’s app store, you can typically only see the newsfeed on the main page (compared to newsfeed, apps, and ads), and you’re much more limited to the features available to you.

It’s decision time. You have the information available, what’s your choice: Facebook Website or Facebook Mobile? It might be a tougher decision than you would think.

Conclusion

Facebook Mobile is an on-the-go option to provide users the ability to update their status and see other people’s updated statuses through their mobile devices. It’s more limited in what it shows and what the user can do, but it’s an option for those who only wish to see an update or post one themselves.

Having the ability to work on your social media from your phone provides the freedom to post from anywhere. The downside is you can’t use your Facebook apps if you haven’t found one through your app store on your phone. You’re also limited as to what you can see and do from the Mobile version.

The choice is up to you, the user. If you’re not much of a gamer or simply want to be able to check someone’s status or update your own, the mobile option is probably for you. If you like the apps available and prefer to have the full version in front of you to work with, the website is probably your choice. There is no right or wrong answer.

Making the decision between Facebook Mobile and Facebook Website is not about being right or wrong. It’s about finding what works for you. Which version are you more comfortable with? If you’re a gamer, are you okay with the apps from your phone’s store instead of the real apps on Facebook Website? It comes down to what works best for you in the long run.

Maybe you’re a person who can use both. You sit down at your computer at night to play your games and use your phone during the day for status updates and checking up on friends. That’s an option as well. The debate of Facebook Mobile vs. Facebook Website is not about choosing sides. You can have it both ways if you prefer.