Why Would My Business Need a Mobile Website?

Doug Williams @ 6:29 am

This blog entry was posted on October 24, 2009.

By now I am sure you are saying that my company is a small local business. Why would I need a mobile website? Well, your type of company is the most searched for from hand held devices. When your customers are out and about, they are not near their desktop computer.

If they are hungry, they want to find a place to eat. If they are in a mood for a movie, they will look up the movie theater to see what is playing.

What happens in an emergency? What if their car breaks down and they need to find a nearby repair shop? What if they get into a car accident and they need to find a body shop to get towed to?

Let’s say you have someone coming to see you because of your ad in the newspaper. They get lost and go to their phone to find directions. They can’t find you, or your website won’t work on their phone …but they do find your competition. They click on your competitor and get turn by turn directions to their door. Now you have lost a customer.

So what kinds of businesses need a mobile website? Every coffee shop, restaurant, night club, doctor, dentist, lawyer, accountant, car repair and dry cleaner needs one.

…If your business depends on local customers, then you need a mobile website.

…If your business depends on advertising in the Yellow Pages, then you need a mobile website.

…If your customers want to get their information on the go, then you need a mobile website.

The mobile industry is still in its infancy, but it is growing fast. Now is the time to create a mobile friendly website and be the leader in your market.

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Filed under: Local Search,Mobile Web

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What are Mobile Websites?

Doug Williams @ 5:12 am

This blog entry was posted on October 22, 2009.

Most companies today have a “regular” website, but the new frontier is the mobile web. This is the Internet as viewed on your cell phone. Very few businesses today have a website that can be easily viewed on a mobile phone. But is this important for a local business?

Mobile websites are very different than traditional websites. Cell phones have small screens and as they access the Internet they cannot read “regular” websites very well. Cell phones require simpler websites, smaller in size and with few graphics. A separate mobile website is needed. Mobile websites are much smaller and have fewer pages. The message is much more focused to what your mobile audience wants to know.

The mobile web is lighter than the normal web. Desktops connect to the internet through a stable high speed connection. Cell phones by their nature have to connect on the move. Connections are transferred from cell-tower to cell-tower and are affected by carrier coverage. This makes mobile devices limited in bandwidth.

There is a tremendous variety of mobile phones today. They range from very small screens to the larger screen of the Smartphone such as the iPhone. This creates challenges to create website for phones with different capabilities, features and restrictions.

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Filed under: Mobile Web

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M-Commerce (Mobile e-Commerce) is Still in its Infancy

Doug Williams @ 5:18 am

This blog entry was posted on September 10, 2009.

Mobile web use is sharply on the rise. The transformation of traditional e-Commerce over to mobile Commerce or m-commerce has begun. There is still reluctance by mobile users to use their phones for online purchases. The trend toward these types of transactions is just now beginning to grow.

Headlines are all around us about mobile web growth. Examples include:

65 Million People Use Mobile Facebook.
iPhone gains 10% web browsing use in August.
Forrester Predicts European Mobile Internet Explosion

It’s not surprising that m-commerce is expected to grow exponentially in the near future. eMarketer is forecasting that 70 million US mobile phone users will access the Internet through their phone in 2009.

Earlier this month, Internet Retailer reported that there are now over 100 m-commerce sites that allow consumers to shop and make purchases on their mobile phones. Although 100 websites is a very small number today, this is expected to grow very quickly. The larger online retailers have been investing heavily into the mobile channel. This includes companies such as Amazon.com, Overstock.com, 1-800-Flowers.com and Foot Locker.

Major obstacles to m-commerce growth are the lack standardization among Smartphone browsers and operating systems, capital constraints and issues with consumer privacy and security.

M-commerce is being welcomed by early adopters. Items that appear to be very much in demand are things that appeal to the on-the-go consumers and involve small amounts of money. This includes pizza and movie tickets.

Mobile ticketing allows for the purchase of tickets for movies, ballparks and even air/train travel. Tickets can be booked and then downloaded to mobile phones with the help of simple mobile phone applications.

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Filed under: Mobile Web

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myTouch 3g – T-Mobile's "Google Phone" and How It Impacts Your Business

Adam Bullock @ 4:10 am

This blog entry was posted on August 7, 2009.

Another day, another smart phone, right?

Well, kinda. T-Mobile’s myTouch isn’t Google’s first foray into the cell phone market (T-Mobile’s G1 came out last October), but it certainly has a better chance to compete with the iPhone because of the intangibles. It looks much more stylish (think Tercel to Lamborghini type of style upgrade), drops the physical QWERTY keyboard for a touch version (which is all the rage right now) and T-Mobile seems to be really pushing the advertising of the phone.

Add that to the fact that the appeal of having all your Google products designed specifically for use on one device is attractive for a lot of people, and you have a potential slice of the iPhone market using Google a lot more often.

As a business owner, why should you care?

While it was important before to be on Google’s local search and found on Google Maps, it has now become essential. The number of people using Google Maps or local search is already high, but the myTouch makes it incredibly easy for someone to find locations nearby on the go. Make sure your listing is up to date and looks professional.

When it comes to wanting to rank well on the search engines, your focus should already be on Google since they’re clearly the #1 search engine in the world. And while Google fans are sure to pick up the phone, there are those out there who will start to use Google a lot more often.

Lastly, as you read in Doug’s last post with mobile industry expert Sean Flaherty mobile phones are quickly replacing, well, everything! Making sure your website is optimized for mobile search, and for mobile browsers, is something you should pay attention to before it’s too late!

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Filed under: Mobile Web

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What is the Future of the Smartphone?

Doug Williams @ 3:51 am

This blog entry was posted on August 5, 2009.

Hardware technology trends have already turned cell phones into Smartphones. Computing power and wireless high speed 4G networks are developing and evolving quickly. This will propel Smartphones into the full mobile PC of tomorrow. But it is the software programs or “apps” that will turn this mobile computer into the productive tool we need.

I spent some time discussing this with Sean Flaherty, Industry expert, whose software development company ITX Corp specializes in creating apps for the iPhone. These are his insights into this evolving industry.

What changes will be happening in mobile phones and in mobile technology that will affect our near term future?

Sean: Smartphones are the platform of the future. In another 5-10 years, your entire computing platform will be in your phone and we will use dumb terminals with monitors, keyboards and mice to interact with them for our jobs. They are already small, cheap and powerful enough for 95% of most people’s computing needs. We will soon do most of our shopping, reservations, business transactions and written communications right from our phones. Probably the most revolutionary change will come when we can ditch our need for wallets, because our phone will serve not only as our GPS, our media player and our communication platform, but also as our ID, our credit card and our complete computer system. True convergence of all of these devices is quickly becoming a reality.

What are the latest consumer and business trends in mobile phone apps?

Sean: The platform is still overwhelmingly used for gaming and “fun” entertainment applications and this is not changing anytime soon. Business is only starting to recognize the power of this technology and how it can get them ahead of their competition. This is the trend that will revolutionize how businesses interact with their consumers.

What types of mobile apps has ITX been creating for mobile phones?

Sean: We are seeing a huge demand for small, simple applications that bring companies and institutions into the mobile space. These range from simple search engines, to membership directories to online brochures that include full featured media. We have been creating applications in the Precious Metals industry, Academia, the Music Industry and even the Trucking industry. The utility of these devices is virtually unlimited.

What is the future going to be for mobile phone apps?

Sean: Believe it or not, I think there is still a long, long way to go. We are only scratching the surface of the capabilities that these devices will have in the very near future. Here are the innovations that are just beginning to reach the industry and some of the effects that we will see:

Applications on every device will be able to ubiquitously interact with one another with proximity. I.e. iPhone to Nokia, the power of the gaming platform will multiply exponentially.
Applications will be able to interact with a plethora of useful peripherals via Bluetooth. i.e. digital scales, pocket blood analyzers, heart monitors, hard drives, cameras, refrigerators, coffee makers, TVs, Alarm Systems etc… The utilities will be endless.

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Filed under: Mobile Web

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Web is Growing Toward Local Search for Local Businesses

Doug Williams @ 4:34 am

This blog entry was posted on April 10, 2009.

The World Wide Web growth continues to accelerate in the number of websites and the number of people searching. It is interesting that the bigger the web grows the more local it becomes. Increasing demand, web applications, mobile phones for Internet searches all fuel the search for “local” on the Internet.

Market Data and Statistics

The Internet has now grown to 225 million websites according to Netcraft March 2009
There are an estimated 1.6 billion Internet users worldwide according to Internet World Stats March 2009
Local Search grew 58% in 2008 to 15.7 billion searches. This is 11.5% of all searches performed according to a comScore study March 2009.
82% of Local Searchers follow up offline via an in-store visit, phone call, or purchase according to a comScore study.
54% of Americans have substituted the internet and local search for phone books according to a comScore study.

This is changing the way local businesses view the Internet. In the past local businesses in California were concerned that they would be attracting inquiries from New York or Florida. This is not so any more.

The use of mobile phones is helping drive this change. Mobile search is increasingly becoming local. According to a Kelsey Group report, searches done from mobile phones were 28% local search in 2008. This is expected to grow to 35% in 2013. The number of mobile searches is expected to grow tremendously in this same period.

Local based searches on Smartphones like iPhones, Blackberry and the open source Google Phone is changing how local businesses market. Search engines are the primary way consumers find things online.

Local SEO starts with keyword research. Potential customers search by combining keywords with local community names. They search using phrases like “coffee shops portland oregon”, “manhattan restaurant”, “tire repair phoenix” or “dry cleaner kissimmee fl.”

Businesses with multiple locations need to add a page about each location.

Conclusion: Local businesses need to have a website. They need to optimize their website using local community names. They need a mobile version of their website to capture the fast growing trend toward mobile phone web searches.

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Filed under: Internet Marketing,Local Search,Mobile Web

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Mobile Web Marketing Will Be Huge!

Doug Williams @ 5:56 am

This blog entry was posted on April 6, 2009.

Most companies today have a “regular” website, but the new frontier is the mobile web. The Mobile Web is not just a fad. This is the internet as viewed on your cell phone. You need to begin mobile marketing now if you want to stay ahead of your competition.

In the United States, 39% of mobile phones have Internet access (2008) for their cell phone according to a study by The Kelsey Group. This is expected to grow at 19% per year thru 2012. There is a tremendous variety of mobile phones today. They range from small screens (such as the RAZR) to the larger screen of the Smartphone such as the iPhone.

Smartphones are the new breed of cell phones that are a hybrid of a computer and cell phone. Smartphones such as the iPhone or Blackberry Storm currently make up less than 20% mobile phone market, but they account for over 80% of mobile searches.

Who are the power users on the mobile web? 20-29 year olds search the mobile Internet the most. Men today have a slightly higher usage then women. It is pretty even by income level.

So how should businesses market themselves on the Mobile Web?

SMS Marketing: This is text based marketing where consumers opt in similar to email marketing. Consumers give you permission to send them digital coupons and specials. This is highly effective for local businesses.

Mobile Websites: These are smaller and simpler than regular websites. They are primarily text or text with simple graphics designed to be viewed on a wide variety of phones. The content is highly focused to what the mobile visitor is searching for.

Mobile Applications: Design applications to sell to Smartphone users to create new capabilities for their phones. This can range from Facebook applications to keeping commercial driving logs. The iPhone has been a major focus so far with the other Smartphones not far behind.

We have only seen the beginning of the move to mobile. Pew Internet projects that by 2020 more Internet searches will occur from mobile devices than from traditional desktops.

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Filed under: Internet Marketing,Mobile Web

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How to Optimize Mobile Websites

Doug Williams @ 1:43 am

This blog entry was posted on February 19, 2009.

The mobile web is moving mainstream with everyone launching mobile websites. Methods for optimizing these websites are still in their infancy. Search engine optimization for mobile websites is not very different from standard SEO practices.

Standards for proper mobile website design are still being established and won’t be mature for some time. Standards for mobile search are even less defined, but we do know what is working today.

Create mobile friendly content.
Get spidered and indexed by mobile search engines.

The focus on the mobile web is on making the user experience easy and simple.

Accessibility: Follow W3C Mobile website design best practices and the dotMobi web developers guide to ensure the best user experience. This will ensure that your content is accessible to anyone regardless of their platform.

Keep it simple: Design a simple site structure with clear navigation. Keep the content clean, short and easy to read on a cell phone. Avoid designing sites deeper than 3 layers.

Validated XHTML Code: Use only 100% valid XHTML 1.0 code. It is likely that WML will be phased out in the future as a coding language. Make it easy for the search engines to access your mobile website. Mobile search engines have trouble crawling and indexing invalid code.

Mobile Sitemap: Search engines need to know your mobile website exists in order to spider it.

Links: Each page of your mobile website should have at least one incoming link. From your home page link to a sitemap page. This sitemap should include links to all other pages to help the mobile spiders index and rank your content.

SEO Best Practices: Follow standard SEO best practices such as major keywords in the title tag, H1′s and body text, keyword-rich anchor text for internal links and the content itself. You will have much less text but the text that is there must be keyword rich.

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Filed under: Mobile Web

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How the Mobile Web is Different from the Normal Web

Doug Williams @ 5:26 am

This blog entry was posted on February 17, 2009.

There isn’t a separate web for mobile devices to plug into. It is the same web that desktops use. It is the mobile device that has special requirements. The “mobile web” is the web as viewed through a mobile phone.

Mobile devices require simpler websites, smaller in size and with few graphics. These are versions of websites that are compatible with the limited capabilities and small screens of cell phones. A separate mobile website is needed to deliver an optimized experience for mobile users.

Bandwidth: The mobile web is lighter than the normal web because of technology limitations. Desktops connect to the internet through a stable more robust connection. Mobile devices by their nature have to connect on the move. Connections are transferred from cell-tower to cell-tower and are affected by carrier coverage. This makes mobile devices limited in terms of bandwidth.

Device types: Devices used to connect to the mobile web vary widely. This creates challenges to create website for phones with different capabilities, features and restrictions. W3C and the mobile industry have been working to standards and best practices to improve the ability for cell phones to view web content.

Audience: People who use the mobile web do have different needs. They view the web on the go. In general there are needs a mobile user will be one of the following.

Urgent: Looking find something specific fast. This may be directions or a place to eat.
Bored: Casual surfing while commuting or between meetings.
Repetitive: Looking for the same type of information over and over such as weather, traffic reports or stock quotes.

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Filed under: Mobile Web

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Marketing your small business on the mobile Web

Doug Williams @ 5:26 am

This blog entry was posted on February 13, 2009.

More and more people are accessing websites from their mobile phones but this experience can be frustrating. Most Web sites were not designed to be used cell phones with their small screen, smaller keyboard and no mouse.

There are about 4 billion mobile phones in the world. This is about four times the numbers of PC’s. The potential for marketing on the mobile web is much bigger than the traditional World Wide Web.

The number of web enabled cell phones is growing. A new generation of 3G phones with web browsers are quickly replacing the older cell phones. Smart phones such as the iPhone and Blackberry Storm offer PC like functionality and are growing in popularity. New “flat rate” data plans have made web access by mobile phones more affordable.

Businesses are responding by quickly developing mobile websites to take advantage of this growing market.

Two mobile website options

Place your mobile website on a sub-domain of your main website. (m.domain.com).
Purchase a .mobi name and place your mobile website there (domain.mobi)

Two ways to create your first mobile website.

Find a mobile Web developer who can build your mobile website from scratch.
Use a mobile website template such as mobiCreate.com or site.mobi.

As you create your mobile website, design and structure your website around your mobile visitor. They are looking for fast access to short bits of content. You will want to use short, direct sentences. Keep your content brief and to the point. Navigation and number of pages should be streamlined.
Think about the most important things your visitor is looking for and give them easy access to that information. Make it useful for your mobile visitor.

Acknowledgement: This information was taken from the eBook on mobilethinking.com

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Filed under: Mobile Web