A mobile Web site puts your information in the hands of your customers anywhere they go. Before you begin building your mobile Web site, ask yourself what information your customers need from you when they're on the go. The best mobile Web sites offer actionable information that is easy to navigate and downloads quickly on mobile devices.
An Introduction to the Mobile Web
Just 19% of US Internet users regularly access the Web from their mobile phones, according to a comScore study released in October 2006. US consumers have been slow to adopt mobile Web surfing for several reasons:
- Data transfer is expensive
- Web sites are large and take a long time to load
- Navigation is difficult on mobile devices
In 2006, several major technology companies joined together to clear the hurdles to mass adoption of the mobile Web by creating a top-level domain (TLD) for Web sites that are designed to load quickly and navigate easily on mobile devices. The new TLD, .mobi, signals to mobile device users that the Web site is optimized for their smart phone or personal digital assistant.
A Good Reason to Launch a .Mobi Web Site
Mobile Internet users are far more likely to be looking for immediate, goal-oriented information than desktop Internet users. They want driving directions, weather reports, addresses, sports scores, business hours and take out menus.
With that in mind, ask yourself whether you have content to offer that is desirable and actionable. If not, you probably don't need a .mobi Web site. If you do have the kind of information mobile Web users are looking for, it's time to start planning your .mobi Web site.