Dot Mobi: Websites on Mobile Devices

Well, we knew it would happen. With cell phones and hand-held devices now outnumbering computers, the new marketing challenge is mobile websites.

If you have ever called up a website on your cell phone, you know that most sites just don't work at "matchbox sizes.” So, in September of 2006, the extension .mobi was launched, and with it, the industry of making a web site work on a small screen. Companies are already offering .mobi services—taking your website and making it work on the mobile screen. Looking for a FedEx drop while on the road? Just punch in Fedex.com and it will take you to their .mobi site. The web site, tailored to fit a cell phone screen, makes it real easy to find what you need.

So the big question for you as a small business is: Are you going to need a .mobi site"? Dot mobi started with social networking and dating sites, but more and more businesses are finding a real value in them. Take, for example, a specialty store that caters to young people who spend practically every waking minute on their hand-held device. Or someone who is in one shop, and, while pricing an item they like, go online and check out competitors’ prices.

So, what are the applications for you? Do you think your business could benefit from a .mobi site? We’ll be covering this subject in more detail in the March issue of our MarketingYourSmallBiz.com Ezine.

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