News
Mobile Websites are Here - Prepare Your Content
July 07, 2009
Since the late 90s, web professionals have been wondering when it was going to happen - the mobile revolution. WAP became a trendword and we kept questioning when mobile websites would be the next-big-thing. Well, I am excited to declare, mobile web is here! 2009 is the year that we have been waiting for. It is time to propel the mobile user experience to a whole new level. Why now? It has a lot to do with a fruit. A shiny and delicious one called "Apple".
What is mobile web?
Mobile web refers to accessing the internet via a mobile device such as a cellphone or a SmartPhone (iPhone, Blackberry Storm, Google Android etc). It is a reborn concept that is catching on rather quickly. You might notice your favourite news-related sites, such as CNN or Globe and Mail, now catering to their mobile web users by offering a mobile version of their website. Type globeandmail.com/mobile into your desktop browser, and you will be able to access their mobile interface. On a desktop - not so pretty - but on a SmartPhone, very readable. Can you picture it now? Sitting in your favourite breakfast nook, having a coffee, and accessing the Globe and Mail on your iPhone? Or, how about online banking? Did you know that RBC has officially launched their mobile banking beta? That is serious business! Organizations cannot ignore this new active user-on-the-go. Almost 4 million Canadians are accessing the internet through their mobile device. (nielsen, Mobile Internet Audience Measurement News Release, June 2009)
What has been the major change that has made 2009 the year of mobile?
The penetration of the iPhone and other SmartPhones into the North American Market has brought mobile and web together in a forever harmonious relationship. Ever tried browsing a website with a classic cellphone? It is an excruciating process. It takes every bit of patience to fill in a search field, let alone login with a username and password. Today, mobile devices with touchscreen and QWERTY keyboards (aka SmartPhones) have opened the door for online users. The iPhone has dominated the user experience with its clever interface and zoom capabilities. Blackberry has carved it's own illustrious path with it's keypad and unique technology. The Google Android and Palm Pre are both expected to provide some excellent user features as well. Move over cellphone.
So, why do these devices, aside from their handy interfaces, change our web-related worlds?
The significance is not entirely the device itself, but instead, the relationship that a user will have with their device. Traditionally, a desktop represents a user online experience. You physically move to your desk, connect to your user account, browse, logoff and then leave the room. A portable device, with continuous access to a powerful network, such as the iPhone 3GS, becomes your 24-7 connection to your online world. It is with you all of the time. You do not have to depend on your physical environment or a questionable wifi connection to "go online". You are continuously connected, and are able to access the internet as quickly and as often as you would like. It also changes the way a user interacts with web content.
Why won't a classic website work well for the mobile user?
A mobile user is a different species of web visitor. They want information quickly and in short spurts. They are in a hurry and don't have time to sift through mountains of images and marketing jargon to get to the information that they require. This demands the rethinking of web content, structure and online user behaviour as a whole. It is time to create a browsing experience for users-on-the-go. By setting up a mobile website, you open the doors to a new audience. Your mobile web presence should be intuitive and seamless. No longer are heavy graphics, large Flash files and pages of run-on content acceptable. You have to say it in 140 characters or less. Why 140 characters? Because that is the new limit of meaningful content (unofficially declared but actively enforced ) according to Twitter. And chances are, if you have a SmartPhone, you are using Twitter.
Stay tuned as RKD Web Studios makes an exciting announcement about Mobile Marketing in the next few weeks.
Would you like to learn more about Mobile Marketing, Mobile Website Design and Mobile Content Prep and Application Development?
Contact me at kelly@rkd.ca.
Written by: Kelly Brooks
RKD Web Studios Inc.
Guelph, Ontario.
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