Mobilizing the Web
March 2nd, 2009Spend a few minutes on a train, in an airport, or even driving to and from work and it won’t take long to figure out that the smartphone has become the new desktop. And this is a big deal for several reasons.
For starters, the smartphone is contradicting a trend we currently see in the traditional desktop space. Whereas cloud computing and other technologies are shifting content from specialized applications into browser-centralized spaces, smartphones are being packaged with dozens of applications, and access to thousands more through the application marketplace (Apple’s App Store, for example, just topped 15,000 applications).
And so for this very reason, more and more advertisers view the mobile application as the new website. Today, mobile ad solutions and networks are gaining ground on their traditional online counterparts. By providing a high quality Software Development Kit (SDK) to application developers, companies like AdMob, Smaato, even Nokia, are enabling developers to monetize their applications with display advertising and sponsorship opportunities. From the advertisers’ perspective, there is more than enough volume to justify a buy, and since these advertising features are centrally built, the networks are able to provide rich ad experiences via SDK.
Another “big deal” factor: Consider the recent partnership between Adobe (maker of Flash) and chip-maker ARM (which powers about 90 percent of mobile phones worldwide). While it’s true that more and more phones can browse the Web, it’s also true that many mobile phones have only a limited ability to show much of the Web’s content. Video and Flash-heavy websites simply don’t work well, if at all, on many phones due to the software and hardware incompatibility. But this recent collaboration marks a commitment to bring more of the Web to mobile devices.
All of this of course, has an effect on how businesses and developers approach the mobile Web. With so many people from around the world accessing the web via mobile devices, smart companies and developers will need to:
1. Understand that brands and access to critical information is always on. Brands today are expected to provide faster and more customizable experiences, more engaging content, and more opportunities for consumers to share ideas and opinions. And a lot of this is happening through mobile devices and applications.
2. Extend website access to include mobile browsers. It’s no longer enough to test sites on Firefox, IE and Safari. Developers will need to develop and test their sites for mobile devices to see how they look and function there as well.
3. Develop mobile versions of their websites. In addition to testing sites for mobile-compatibility, developers will need to start considering developing specifically for mobile devices.
4. Focus on mobile applications. Mobile-compatible sites are good; mobile applications are better (just ask Apple).
5. Consider sending mobile email and SMS. In addition to “traditional” HTML email campaigns, companies need to look at more effective ways to reach and engage their audiences. Like its websites, companies and developers should be testing HTML emails for mobile compatibility, while considering SMS and mobile-specific landing pages as a complement to these campaigns.
With the maturation and penetration of smartphones, businesses, developers and content providers can no longer afford to ignore users of their websites who happen to surf in on a mobile device. Luckily, it’s now possible to achieve a feature-rich, interactive, and visually impactful mobile presence that serves your brand, extends your community of users onto a new platform, helps make inroads into new user groups and demographics, and above all, positions you well in a rich media environment that is no longer a thing of the future but has, in fact, already arrived.
Eric Pilkington, Guest Blogger
Tags: Mobile, Online Advertising, Online Trends, Smartphone, User Experience, Web Development
