In any business the most important success factor is the ability to reach out to the customers.
While time is changing, the way we do our business is also changing. The technology that has impacted the most to the way we conduct our business is “Internet”. So it is important for a business to have web presence both in mainstream as well as in mobile web. Because of the convenience and instant access the focus is gradually shifting to mobile web. Hence mobile presence is of greater importance. According to a research conducted by Microsoft till 2011, 4 billion mobile phone users were present and out of that 1.08 billion are smartphones. By the year 2014, the mobile internet usage will exceed that of Desktop internet usage.
Mobi Websites are an extended version of the mainstream websites, customized for a better user experience on devices with smaller viewing space. Looking at the popularity of Mobile web, ICANN gave nod to a mobile specific domain extension called .mobi in 2005.
How mobile sites help your business:
Having a mainstream as well as a mobile only site for your business definitely has it’s advantages. According to report provided by Compuware and Brand Anywhere and Luth Research if your site is not optimized for mobile experience you might lose as high as 61% visitors. Below are few advantages the mobi websites offer:
Approach for building successful mobile websites
When you are sure that you need to have a mobi website for your business, you need to have a proper strategy in place. The first and foremost thing is to understand the business and customers and how they interact with the site. It is needed to talk to customers and do brainstorming among team members to come up with answers to few basic questions like:
Once done with the preliminary investigation, there are 2 options to get the mobi website done.
1) Either you do it on your own: For this you need to be knowledgeable enough to perform the task.
2) Or Outsource it from a Professional: When choosing a professional, you should give special attention to their approach in convincing you. Mobile websites have to be always well thought of and since the number of screens and the screen space will be limited, it is important the professional outfit hired for the job has a detailed approach.
Checklist for building Mobile websites:
While designing mobi websites, special care needs to be taken to present as much information on as little space as possible. The content needs to be precise and the navigation should be simple. There are certain best practices and technologies under Mobile Web Initiative(MWI) that needs to be followed for a mobile ready website. Also to check the mobile readiness of your mobi there is a free tool called MobiForge. Following points need to be taken care while designing a mobi website:
Conclusion:
The distinguishing feature of mobile web is its ability to offer users access to information anytime, anywhere. When you plan to launch mobile site, It is not that you create it and forget. You need to take input from visitors and customers, use analytics to know how users interact with the site and use those data to provide a better mobile experience. Businesses that are able to design and implement a successful mobile web strategy will be able to see the benefit of this ever growing and challenging medium.
Are you prepared to take advantage of this new medium? If not, you might be losing a major chunk of your business to your competitors!
Shameless Self Promotion:
At Indus Net Technologies, we do consult and create mobile websites! So, if you have decided to outsource, feel free to connect with us at info@indusnet.co.in or visit http://www.indusnet.co.in/mobile/
