As the result of some random browsing, I came across a site with that message on their landing page. Just below it was the message “You can always visit our Facebook or our MySpace for fun”. Is anybody else as bewildered by this approach as I am?

We know iPhones (and iPads for that matter) won’t display Flash. That’s a problem. I don’t think Apple will change their position any time soon. How can a business afford to turn away a percentage of their visitors, many of whom will be existing or potential customers?

Maybe your experience is only a few percent of your visitors use iPhones, which may make this decision seem acceptable - it’s only a few percent after all. But every site is different. They all appeal to different demographics. What happens when the demographic for this site has a high percentage of iPhone users in its midst? My feeling is that the percentage of visitors impacted by the no iPhone decision is now well outside the “few percent” range. Potentially it could have a big impact.

Is this site in that situation? I don’t know, but I think it is likely.

I haven’t identified the site concerned. I don’t know their circumstance. I don’t raise this issue to make a point against them. This may be a good decision in their context. But how have they come to this point. Are they being let down by the advice about the construction of their website or is there a failure to understand their own demographic?

I hope for their sake I’m making a mountain out of a mole hill.