Mar 01 2010
I've read several articles that have insisted that mobile is huge right now and will only get more popular as time and technology goes on and progresses. But what does that really mean for the small business owner? Is it time to consider a mobile specific website?
The short answer is yes, absolutely. The long answer is well, longer.
Many may argue that a mobile version of a site isn't as important since the iPhone in particular tends to display most websites without any issue. While I can understand that argument and used to feel the same way, it's weak at best and at worst, leaves a huge portion of the market out in the cold. Blackberrys, Androids and even other mobile phones with mini browsers like Opera Mini.
Yes the iPhone can display websites well but the experience of visiting a website on a traditional web browser versus a mobile one (even one as good as the iPhone) is vastly different. While screen real estate is surely something to consider, I would say that the need to get to certain information as fast as possible on a mobile device is more of a priority. Think about it. More often than not, when people are using their phones to view websites they're doing so because of an immediate need and therefore must do it quickly. I'll readily admit that this scenario isn't always the case, but it isn't farfetched either. Even a casual visitor to a few sites from an iPhone could get tired of pinching and double-tapping and scrolling just to focus in on specific content.
Let's not forget the rest of the market though! The iPhone is obviously not the only phone used to view websites on the go. While building an iPhone friendly version if your website is good, it's a costly mistake to ignore the other mobile browsers. I'm not going to get into the market share discussion here but really, ignoring Blackberrys and Google phones just wouldn't be prudent for any business. They represent a large number of users that are just too hard to ignore. Users that may just be looking for whatever it is you're selling.
Of course none of this means squat if your site isn't getting many visits from the mobile arena anyway. So how do you determine if now is really the right tome to consider developing a mobile version of your site?
Look at your stats. If you're only getting blips it may not be the right time to invest in a mobile version of your site. But don't just look once - you'll have to monitor and stay on top of it. But don't wait too long either. As more and more companies take their sites mobile, you could lose out on a segment of your core audience.
Either way the bottom line is that the mobile web is growing in usage. And it's doing so at such a rapid pace that we won't be able to ignore it for much longer.