Mobile Web Sites- The Importance of a Mobile Web Presence
If you’re thinking of diving into mobile, one of the first things you should do as soon as possible is to develop and build a mobile website. Sticking to the basics, a mobile website is an internet site that can be accessed via a mobile device. While you may not think there is an audience for the mobile web, according to eMarketer “There are 405 million mobile Internet users worldwide, and within four years this number is expected to double.” As the price of data plans continue to decrease and advanced mobile devices like the iPhone become the norm, people will become addicted to the mobile web much like they are to the World Wide Web. Thus, creating a mobile web presence now will likely lead to more success in the future.
Although the mobile Internet has been around just over 10 years, it has grown at an increasingly steady rate. Many believe this growth is due to three primary factors: the development of high-tech handsets, the establishment of base rate unlimited data plans, and advances in mobile applications, services and carriers. Without handsets that support advanced operations, the increased development of the mobile web would be pointless. Since handset manufacturers are able to build devices that enable users to experience rich media content, the proliferation of the mobile Internet has and will continue to grow.
In addition to the handsets themselves, another factor that has helped increase the use of the mobile Internet is that networks are moving away from variable priced data plans and closer to flat rate plans. With an unlimited economic price, consumers are becoming more and more likely to subscribe because they know exactly how much they are paying each month for the service. Lastly, the development and build of various applications has enabled users to engage with their phones more than ever before. These applications can make the user’s mobile internet experience more meaningful and keep them coming back for more.
While the mobile Internet is still a fairly new phenomenon, it is a vital piece to your mobile campaign. Currently, people expect a company/business to have a Web site. In the not so distant future, this expectation will also apply to the mobile Internet. Now is your chance to create a mobile web presence before your competition does. According to IDC, a market intelligence and research firm, it is conjectured that mobile devices will surpass PC’s as the primary tool for accessing the Internet by 2012. Therefore, in just a few short years, the mobile Internet is projected to gain a considerable audience. If you want to set the curve in mobile Web site development, now is your chance.
As you begin to develop your mobile campaign and strategy, consider how a mobile web site could help further your marketing agenda. In a report from Juniper Research, it is estimated that by 2013, the mobile web market will be worth $22.5 billion. Even though the mobile Internet is still developing, now is the best time to get involved. Consumers are steadily adopting mobile-Web accessible devices and subscribing to affordable data plans. Currently, we are on the cusp of a mobile Internet explosion where people will soon depend on the mobile Web for their day-to-day activities. If you want to run a successful, long-term mobile campaign, you will want to build a mobile Web site.
