In all media, I have frequently noticed headlines and reports about mobile phones usage in Canada, USA and world-wide. A source tells us that there are about 260 Million of mobile phones just in the USA. The so called "smartphones" is another category within these phones. It has grown with the fastest rate and has about 70% share. Top smart phones are iPhones BlackBerries and many different hardware brands follow the leaders. Last category uses Android OS. Nokia had been my brand, for several phone sets I had held in the past, but no more. About 2 years I switched. Smart phones have many more features, they are all smart and they are designed to send and receive data. Never mind all those other bells and whistles; many of them are not important for me at all. You need a data plan on the top of your regular phone-voice plan, to receive emails and be able to surf the net. These plans have cost that is proportional to the expected usage and varies from a provider to provider. Smart phones for the web have two main constraints that affect the user, one way or the other. It is the screen size that is too small for a user who is used to of large PC monitor and reading the large fonts on websites. The other factor is the data transfer cost. Large websites with plenty of embedded graphics are optimized for PC screens have a lot of data to be transferred. If you have a small data plan, you might have to pay much more for your monthly usage. That factor alone makes users beware of web surfing.
Everywhere you go in public and private places, you can just see people busy with smartphones in their hands. It is obvious to me, what an opportunity it is for business people with Websites that can be seen by so many viewers with Web phones. Texting is still the number one activity. It has reached dramatic proportion and becomes a dangerous activity, when you feel compelled to do it, while driving the car. I was stunned to hear a statement from a mother to her daughter, as she was walking from the house to her car. "Do not text and drive!" An update to the old saying "Do not drink and drive!" If you are part of an older generation, like I am, it is hard to understand what do these younger people have so much to text about? Why with such an urgency that you have to do it behind the wheel? In the same time, I can envy the speed of their typing on the little screens or keyboard. It must be the practice that I do not get. I read my emails on the phone, but hardly ever reply to them right away. Prefer to do it later from my laptop.
Mobile search from their smartphones follows as the next popular activity, and it exceeds visits to social media sites. The generation of 18-34 years old is the largest user of searching the net with the use of their smart phones. I would say that the habits are already formed in the pre-school and school age. Only searchable topics will shift with the age. I am a friend of families, where young preschoolers or slightly older kids, regularly borrow parents' smartphones to search the web. It must be seen as a toy or have a special attraction for the kids, but it seems to be preferable to a PC with a large monitor. I belong to an older generation and have to use reading glasses. Although I use mobile search with my iPhone a lot, I hardly do it from home or office, where more convenient PC with a large monitor is preferable. It seems to be contrary to the research done by Yahoo mobile division, where they apparently found out that a large number of surfing and searches originates at home. Smartphone search is the use of morning media. I recall that radio advertising was sold as a morning media. People get up from their bed and reach for hand-held devices rather than laptops or desktops. I do not fit the marketer's profile, at all. I consider myself an enthusiastic smartphone user for searches and website surfing, but acquired my device quite late, just two years ago. Upon expiration of my old contract, I signed up for another mobility contract, at this time with an iPhone.
Some time before I purchased my new iPhone; a friend of mine wanted to show me his new dental website. He is a BlackBerry user and just wanted to let me have a teaser on his device. When he typed the domain on the keyboard and handed it to me, it was my first time seeing a website on the BlackBerry. He was proud of his site since it was loaded with flash, images and educational sections that he told me about. I was curious and wanted to do some tire-kicking with his gadget. He immediately asked me not to since it costs him money for extra data transfer charges. The website is difficult to read anyway, he said! So, what was the purpose to open up a cake box, if you cannot eat it? His website was not designed with many potential viewers in mind, and he apparently paid a lot of money for it. It seemed that, for all the cost, there was a flaw in the system, when potential viewers are left out. At the time, we did not know anything about .mobi domain websites and our opinions about the practical use of mobile Internet was, therefore, cloudy. I have discussed this issue with a number of colleagues and friends, all Website owners. They all have some kind of Internet connected web phones. Since my friends' experiences with viewing full size websites were less than satisfactory, therefore, they do not use mobile Internet anymore. It is a case of not properly matching media with the right audience. I have to add that they all belong to an older age bracket than 18 to 34 years of age. When I let them know about availability of some sites designed for mobile screens, since they are not as handy to search them out, they rather pass. It depends on your first experience. If it fails, only few people will give a second chance.
The small screen and sophisticated browsers of today's smart phones will display any website; however, they are so miniatures and very difficult to read. Many times you have to expand the image and scroll left and right to read the text. Scrolling makes reading very cumbersomely. You should have a website designed just for the web phones. These web sites have to adhere to different standards, when you have ".mobi" domain name extension. The domain is similar to .com, .info or any other one. Mainly, it implies easy viewability by all mobile platforms. These websites have less graphics and smaller in size. The textual content is easy to read. Notice two examples side by side. When you do a mobile search, engines will rank the websites according to their usual algorithm, but does not provide any preference to mobile sites, unless you specify "mobi" in your search, at the end, of your query keyword. Mobile searches would like to see more mobile website and easer to find them on the listings. When search engine provides customization to the individual searchers, it should be obvious to provide the mobile customization to users of search engines with setting - View: mobile settings.
If you search them, you will find them. A Happy Mobiling! They are the mobile websites! In comparison to the hungry market-demand that is so easy to observe, the supply is still very limited. It is mainly because of plain ignorance by Web site owners. Those Web few owners who will take some actions to build mobile Websites in conjunction with their regular sites should rip the benefits with added exposure soon! I understand that average person gets on the trend only after it is well proven and not in early stages. Websites owners can also start with advertising or listings on the existing mobile websites. List your business in a mobile business directory for your city or town. When you create full mobile website for your business or profession, obtain a link in the same directory. There are already several of such sites for each major city also for Toronto. Unfortunately, these sites alone also suffer from lack of web promotion. When you use a mobile search for a keyword like "my city business directory mobi," you should find them! It must be a matter of time, before we see snow ball effect and web owners will get on the .mobi gold rushes.
I never knew how much fun I can have with my Web phone. I do not use it as iPod at all, but while on a public bus or waiting anywhere, my phone is always in my hand and I surf the web. I have also downloaded some apps for newspaper and other functions. Some apps are great, but I would not advise a small business owner or professional to go into an expense of developing them. Firstly you need a different app for different mobile platform, and such a cost can be extraordinary. Only a national or multinational company can afford it. On the other hand, a simple mobile website could be designed under $1000, I am told.
Everywhere you go in public and private places, you can just see people busy with smartphones in their hands. It is obvious to me, what an opportunity it is for business people with Websites that can be seen by so many viewers with Web phones. Texting is still the number one activity. It has reached dramatic proportion and becomes a dangerous activity, when you feel compelled to do it, while driving the car. I was stunned to hear a statement from a mother to her daughter, as she was walking from the house to her car. "Do not text and drive!" An update to the old saying "Do not drink and drive!" If you are part of an older generation, like I am, it is hard to understand what do these younger people have so much to text about? Why with such an urgency that you have to do it behind the wheel? In the same time, I can envy the speed of their typing on the little screens or keyboard. It must be the practice that I do not get. I read my emails on the phone, but hardly ever reply to them right away. Prefer to do it later from my laptop.
Mobile search from their smartphones follows as the next popular activity, and it exceeds visits to social media sites. The generation of 18-34 years old is the largest user of searching the net with the use of their smart phones. I would say that the habits are already formed in the pre-school and school age. Only searchable topics will shift with the age. I am a friend of families, where young preschoolers or slightly older kids, regularly borrow parents' smartphones to search the web. It must be seen as a toy or have a special attraction for the kids, but it seems to be preferable to a PC with a large monitor. I belong to an older generation and have to use reading glasses. Although I use mobile search with my iPhone a lot, I hardly do it from home or office, where more convenient PC with a large monitor is preferable. It seems to be contrary to the research done by Yahoo mobile division, where they apparently found out that a large number of surfing and searches originates at home. Smartphone search is the use of morning media. I recall that radio advertising was sold as a morning media. People get up from their bed and reach for hand-held devices rather than laptops or desktops. I do not fit the marketer's profile, at all. I consider myself an enthusiastic smartphone user for searches and website surfing, but acquired my device quite late, just two years ago. Upon expiration of my old contract, I signed up for another mobility contract, at this time with an iPhone.
Some time before I purchased my new iPhone; a friend of mine wanted to show me his new dental website. He is a BlackBerry user and just wanted to let me have a teaser on his device. When he typed the domain on the keyboard and handed it to me, it was my first time seeing a website on the BlackBerry. He was proud of his site since it was loaded with flash, images and educational sections that he told me about. I was curious and wanted to do some tire-kicking with his gadget. He immediately asked me not to since it costs him money for extra data transfer charges. The website is difficult to read anyway, he said! So, what was the purpose to open up a cake box, if you cannot eat it? His website was not designed with many potential viewers in mind, and he apparently paid a lot of money for it. It seemed that, for all the cost, there was a flaw in the system, when potential viewers are left out. At the time, we did not know anything about .mobi domain websites and our opinions about the practical use of mobile Internet was, therefore, cloudy. I have discussed this issue with a number of colleagues and friends, all Website owners. They all have some kind of Internet connected web phones. Since my friends' experiences with viewing full size websites were less than satisfactory, therefore, they do not use mobile Internet anymore. It is a case of not properly matching media with the right audience. I have to add that they all belong to an older age bracket than 18 to 34 years of age. When I let them know about availability of some sites designed for mobile screens, since they are not as handy to search them out, they rather pass. It depends on your first experience. If it fails, only few people will give a second chance.
The small screen and sophisticated browsers of today's smart phones will display any website; however, they are so miniatures and very difficult to read. Many times you have to expand the image and scroll left and right to read the text. Scrolling makes reading very cumbersomely. You should have a website designed just for the web phones. These web sites have to adhere to different standards, when you have ".mobi" domain name extension. The domain is similar to .com, .info or any other one. Mainly, it implies easy viewability by all mobile platforms. These websites have less graphics and smaller in size. The textual content is easy to read. Notice two examples side by side. When you do a mobile search, engines will rank the websites according to their usual algorithm, but does not provide any preference to mobile sites, unless you specify "mobi" in your search, at the end, of your query keyword. Mobile searches would like to see more mobile website and easer to find them on the listings. When search engine provides customization to the individual searchers, it should be obvious to provide the mobile customization to users of search engines with setting - View: mobile settings.
If you search them, you will find them. A Happy Mobiling! They are the mobile websites! In comparison to the hungry market-demand that is so easy to observe, the supply is still very limited. It is mainly because of plain ignorance by Web site owners. Those Web few owners who will take some actions to build mobile Websites in conjunction with their regular sites should rip the benefits with added exposure soon! I understand that average person gets on the trend only after it is well proven and not in early stages. Websites owners can also start with advertising or listings on the existing mobile websites. List your business in a mobile business directory for your city or town. When you create full mobile website for your business or profession, obtain a link in the same directory. There are already several of such sites for each major city also for Toronto. Unfortunately, these sites alone also suffer from lack of web promotion. When you use a mobile search for a keyword like "my city business directory mobi," you should find them! It must be a matter of time, before we see snow ball effect and web owners will get on the .mobi gold rushes.
I never knew how much fun I can have with my Web phone. I do not use it as iPod at all, but while on a public bus or waiting anywhere, my phone is always in my hand and I surf the web. I have also downloaded some apps for newspaper and other functions. Some apps are great, but I would not advise a small business owner or professional to go into an expense of developing them. Firstly you need a different app for different mobile platform, and such a cost can be extraordinary. Only a national or multinational company can afford it. On the other hand, a simple mobile website could be designed under $1000, I am told.
About the Author:
Use your Web phone for mobile search! Find eToronto.mobi to see local business directory and more. Online, taking public transit. If you are a Toronto business get your business listing with in mobile Guide for Toronto. Contact us.
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