Is your site ready for the next wave of mobile surfers?

A growing twist in web application requirements is a request for compatibility with mobile phones, especially iPhones. Of course, Apple’s latest touchscreen device, the iPad, is #2 on everyone’s list, with a bullet.

The good news is that modern mobile devices are also using modern browsers. Supporting the iPad is not much different than supporting Safari on a Mac. But here are some gotchas to keep in mind if mobile support comes up in your next web requirements meeting.

• No Flash support - Many sites sprinkle in Flash a little sizzle and some others can’t function without it. Most mobile devices, like the iPad, don’t support Flash. If mobile support is important, don’t require Flash to access key features.

• Sketchy online office support - Many online office environments, like Google Docs and Zoho, use controls that are not being supported with the iPad out of the box. If an online office is part of your web site mix, be sure to call out restrictions for iPad users.

• Smaller screens at standard resolution - Today, most web site are designing around a 1024x768 resolution, which is supported by netbooks and many mobile devices. But, don’t push the resolution envelope, or you will start to lose the bleeding edge. Also be sure that visual elements and typefaces are not so small as to be inscrutible on a smaller screen.

Otherwise, most web applications should be good to go with the latest and greatest in mobile technologies.

Who knows, before long, users may be surfing your site from an actual surfboard!