Are you part of the mobile web?
Posted 28 July 2008 at 11:49AM by Ian Betteridge in Doing business online
According to research by Intel, the number of small mobile devices connected to the Internet is set to reach 1.2 billion by 2012 - a figure which exceeds the number of PCs currently in use. Even accounting for growth in the use of PCs over the next four years, it's clear that the mobile phone will be a hugely popular way of accessing the web - possibly even the most often used web device.
So if you want to get ahead of the competition, it's essential that you start planning for and implementing a mobile web strategy as soon as possible. If you use a web ordering system, can it be used on a mobile phone? Some retailers - notably Amazon - have already started created mobile-specific versions of their sites, so that customers can make orders whenever they want.
If you're designing and building your site yourself, a good place to start would be Virginia DeBolt's feature on how to "Make your site mobile-friendly". If you're employing someone to do it, make sure you explain what you want to your developer - and don't be fobbed off with excuses. Make sure they test on a variety of mobile platforms, including Nokia, Apple, Motorola and BlackBerry.
And, once the system goes live, monitor who well it's doing. Even if you're not getting too many orders now, persist with mobile access - it is likely to pay off in the future.
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