There is no shortage of reasons why traffic on the wireless Web hasn’t matched the sky-high forecasts of a few years ago. But one of the biggest stumbling blocks may also be the most overlooked.
A recent study from JupiterResearch found that nearly twothirds of mobile-phone subscribers worldwide don’t use their handsets to access the Internet. The market research firm called for an alternative to traditional browsers that would help users access information quickly, and said carriers could spur uptake by lowering mobile data prices.
“We’re not advocating the browser go away,” said analyst Julie Ask, “just that there should be an alternative for ‘glanceable’ content. “Consumers are willing to pay for good experiences and products. The industry should focus on this reality.”
Browser alternatives such as widgets or applets could allow users to access information with fewer clicks, JupiterResearch said, improving the user experience and helping to increase traffic overall. Such an application could help ease many of the pain points that accompany mobile phones, including the small screens and limited functionality of 12-key phones.
But how do you get there?
But one of the biggest challenges on the wireless Web is the lack of a uniform URL format. The traditional Internet has thrived thanks to the familiar .com style (and a few variations, such as .net and .org), but the mobile industry still has yet to settle on a format.
Indeed, a quick check of The Nielsen Co.’s top five mobile Internet destinations reveals five different URL formats. Yahoo, which topped Nielsen’s list, uses the letter M near the beginning of the URL to denote its mobile site, http://us.m.yahoo.com. Google opts to use the letter M at the end of its traditional URL. The letters WAP appear in AOL’s wireless tag, while The Weather Channel chooses to insert the letters XHTML in its URL.
Many of the most popular sites employ device-recognition technology, of course, and can redirect mobile users to the appropriate site. But many common sites don’t use such software – or, oftentimes, the technology fails. So a mobile user who isn’t directed to the site via links, or who doesn’t know exactly which URL to type in, can suffer through the miserable experience of trying to view a traditional Internet destination on a mobile phone.
Top Level Domain Ltd., or mTLD, has built an impressive bank account – and an army of critics – with its .mobi effort. The company has auctioned off scores of .mobi domains, and hopes to become the default format for mobile Internet users. Consumers looking for The Weather Channel on a mobile phone would know to check weather.mobi, according to the plan, just as they would type in weather.com on a computer.
Lack of traction
But critics point to mTLD’s lack of traction among established Internet players, pointing to the growing popularity of using the letter M to signify mobile URLs. Adding a single letter – and dropping the traditional “www” – is easier for users to remember and enter on a keypad, of course. And, as evidenced by Nielsen’s two most popular mobile sites, the format may be in the process of becoming the new mobile standard.
“I am a huge evangelist of the ‘m. solution,’ posted James Whatley of SMStextnews.com. “Facebook has done a (lot) of ground work in this area by introducing m.facebook.com to the masses. To my mind, the ‘m.’ is slowly becoming the de facto mobile Web site standard.”
