Tech Lab

BY PAMELA BIR

Taking It With You: Mobile Web Sites

You don't need to rush right out to get one, but here's your advance notice: Mobile Web sites are coming, and you're going to want one.

Mobile Web sites are specially designed sites that are formatted and written with content for smartphone or PDA access. The navigation, information provided and appearance of the sites are adjusted to accommodate those little screens we're all carrying around.

What's in It for Me?

According to PC Magazine, there were 34.6 million mobile Internet users in June 2006, which was a 6 percent increase in only six months. A large part of the users were checking e-mail (Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, AOL Mail). The number-two destination was the Weather Channel, followed by ESPN and Google Search. The top 10 included MapQuest, CNN, Weather and Search.

According to a study by the Online Publishers Association, one in 10 mobile users have purchased something via the mobile Web. Twenty-three percent said they had visited a Web site. Thirteen percent requested more info about a product or service. Eleven percent said they had followed up a mobile site visit with a visit to a store to see a product. So there is definitely a market out there waiting to hear about you.

The drawbacks of mobile computing are pretty obvious: that itty-bitty screen, not to mention the slow connection speeds to access sites and download their info. But screens are getting bigger on some phones and PDAs (witness the surge of iPhone purchases), and screen resolution is improving, making even the small windows easier to read.

The growth of mobile sites has created a demand for consistent technologies and reliability. The Mobile Web Initiative (www.w3.org/mobile), set up by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and supported by about 20 corporate sponsors, is leading the way. The goal is to establish best practices to make mobile surfing more reliable. Mobile sites can be registered with a special ".mobi" extension to help users find and bookmark sites they like.

Next Steps

You can't just take your current Web site and say, "Now it's mobile." Because of the devices they're viewed on, mobile sites have to follow certain guidelines. For example:

• You can only view one mobile Web page at a time. You can't see multiple windows, as on your desktop.
• You have to navigate forward or backward between pages in sequence — there's no jumping around. Look at your navigation to be sure it is simple enough for mobile computing. You want the mobile visitor to arrive at the information they want in the fewest clicks possible.
• Carefully consider what information a mobile user would want to know about your firm. The address, so they can use MapQuest to find your office for a meeting? Key contacts, so they know whom to contact with a question? What type of work you do? What services you provide?
• Visual elegance isn't a high priority for mobile users. Large images work fine on a standard Web site, but they frustrate mobile users by taking too long to download and increasing their costs for their data service. Phone service carriers charge per kilobyte for downloads. Often mobile users turn off images completely to save their dollars. Remove or resize your images for fast downloads. Content is not only king, it is Genghis Khan and offers no mercy.
• Flash elements, PDF files and video can't be viewed on a mobile site. The phone/PDA doesn't speak that language.
• Convert information to one column, which is easier to see and easier to navigate on a wireless device. Most devices don't offer horizontal scrolling.
• Find a site programmer who has experience with mobile sites. There is a difference. Site pages can be coded to use device keys for navigation. That's easier for your visitor than using a stylus to move around. It is also critical that every link work-every time. Mobile users aren't going to be patient enough to hunt for the right page or work to fix a browser error. They want it now! Phone numbers can be coded to actually dial the number from the cell phone.
• Test your site before it goes live with MyDomain's ready.mobi or mTLD's MobiReady Report to get expert input on the site.

Just for Fun

Your carrier provides a browser with your device. From their "deck," they will link directly to popular sites such as CNN or The Weather Channel. You also can type in the URL (Web site address) of any site, or search Yahoo or Google for .mobi sites. Every day there are a few thousand more.

Verizon has launched its V Cast, which includes deals with CBS, Fox and NBC to let you watch prime-time shows such as Bones, Heroes or CSI: Miami. (Yes, you see the commercials too.) Some shows air at their regular TV time, while others are offered at alternative times.

MobiTV has more than 2 million subscribers watching 110 video channels and listening to 80 audio channels on more than 150 devices with 25 carriers (including Sprint and AT&T) worldwide. The company has doubled revenues annually for the past several years.

Mobile dating, or "cell dating," is predicted to be the next big thing in social networking. Maybe Facebook will add it after Microsoft's $240 million investment? According to a July 11, 2007 article in The Globe and Mail, some 3.6 million cell phone users visited mobile dating sites in March 2007. These sites allow members to create a profile that is stored in the phone. They can then search the online database for people matching the criteria they've set. When you find an interesting person, you can text message, e-mail or call. Some services even offer "proximity dating": They use Bluetooth technology to connect members by alerting them that another member is in the same location, or even within 30 feet.

Europeans, who don't have the widespread access to PCs with Internet connections that we have in the United States, are more eagerly jumping on the mobile-site bandwagon right now. But even though we Americans are spoiled by our high-speed Internet connections from the house and office, it's a good bet many of us will be joining in soon. So start planning your mobile Web site now. Keep an eye on the technology, and your competition, so you'll be ready.

Pamela Bir is principal of Your Computer Lady, a Phoenix, Arizona–based firm that handles PowerPoint presentations, Spanish translations, Web site development and maintenance, marketing literature and more. For more information, visit www.YourComputerLady.com or reach her at Pamela@YourComputerLady.com.