Well, the Dotcom era came and went, and now the Mobi era is upon us.

But what is all the hype around Mobi sites?

What is a Mobi website?

Quite simply, a .mobi domain is similar to the .co.za, .com and .org domains. There is nothing special about the domain, although most .mobi websites are customised for optimal viewing on a cell phone. However, you can view any .mobi site on a normal PC web browser, it may not look pretty but it works. The other way around however, it is not, sure you can view, but boy is it ugly,cumbersome and slow.

The typical website is designed for a full screen PC, it does not cater for a small screen found on a mobile phone. The website designers have typically made use of Flash graphics, which will not work on a mobile. The layout is designed primarily for visual appeal rather and fields to enter data are dotted around the site.

The Mobi site is customised to suit the Mobile phone, and the ease of use is key to a Mobi sites success.

But why Mobi and not PC ?

There is a huge market for companies to exploit. There are far more mobile phone users connected to the internet than there are PC’s and it is growing daily!.

It is estimated that there are 2.5 billion mobile phones in use globally, compared to an estimated 900 million Internet users. It is estimated that there are only 1 billion television sets in use by comparison.

In South Africa we have an estimated 36 million subscribers in comparison to a lowly 5 million internet connected PC’s. As for the TV viewers, we are looking around the 25 million mark.

It is pretty obvious then, that with the advent of multimedia mobile phones and GPRS it is a prime candidate for companies to advertise and sell their products.

South Africa and Africa have easily adopted the mobile phone in preference to landlines, the wireless connectivity is cheaper,easier to maintain and quick to deploy.

This is the new era. Companies can connect with their markets anywhere and anytime. Companies can place place advertising, product launches, subscription forms and even a retail outlet on a mobi website. The mobi websites are optimised for the mobile technology and even beat traditional websites down load speeds on ADSL (broadband)

Sites can also connect to a companies internal systems. Sales reps can place orders online, maintenance forces can access job card systems and security access systems can be integrated.

Given the potential and the growing use of mobile phones connected to the web, companies should seriously consider the Mobi option to reach the consumer market.

Beware!

The common pitfalls of having a traditional website still applies to a Mobi site. It’s the “post it” sticker in the Amazon rain forest multiplied !!!. You need to define clear strategies and plans to bring your Mobi site on stream, whilst protecting your investment in your existing website.

The two go hand in and hand will extend your reach, but think before you rush off and register a .mobi – you don’t want a repeat of the .com again.

Feel free to contact me and I will give you a hand!

PS: I don’t have a Mobi yet, but it is coming !