The world today is smaller than it has ever been, communication is not only much more affordable, but much more portable. While cell phones and SMS texting have made it easy to communicate, the US and the world is on the verge of possibly seeing a huge jump in communication and information technology - the Mobile Web.
Most people think of the mobile web as a way to access today’s internet with their mobile (portable devices). This is only half true. It should be noted that what many of us believe to be the mobile web has not yet come to fruition. While the mobile web has had strong growth, it still faces plenty of hurdles to come close to the usability and access of today’s internet.
The mobile web usually refers not only to accessing the traditional world wide web per se, but accessing private wireless data services from a variety of mobile devices including phones, smart phones, PDA’s and Blackberry devices (if you consider Blackberry in a separate class than smart phones). These mobile devices can access information without a fixed landline and for most devices access does not include the traditional World Wide Web, but limited services including paid Blackberry services, i-Mode, WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), etc.
Two things to keep in mind is that the mobile web can be more or less than the traditional internet. For instance, the mobile web can include SMS texting, music ringtones and data services (Blackberry) not found on the traditional web, but for many devices that offer access the World Wide Web, it can offer a much less fulfilling experience than you would find at a home desktop computer.
Unfortunately, there are many limitations with mobile web access, some that we may be able to overcome in the short term, others that may never be achieved. For instance, interoperability is still a big problem. There has yet to be one single standard for the mobile web. Some services offer their own hardware and software, others are more open, but still have problems with certain devices. The problems only get worse when you go from region to region or to another country. If you are business traveler, you know just how difficult it can be to use a normal cell phone, let alone specific data services that your phone, smart phone or gadget offers.
Usability is another problem. While mobile devices are extremely portable, the downside is that usability lacks. How do you do a relevant search on a large keyword phrase using the typical keypads of a cell phone? While some smart phones come equipped with a QWERTY keyboard others do not making it difficult and less convenient to surf the web.
.mobi The Top Level Domain
Obviously standardization is a huge problem with today’s mobile web; one way that many of the big tech players are trying to overcome this problem is by creating the top level domain .mobi. Just like .com and .net for conventional computers made it easy to surf the net, tech players such as Google, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung and Vodafone hope that having the .mobi standard will attract more users and investment.
Optimizing for the Mobile Web- Keeping in Mind its Limitations
The mobile web is a new frontier and for those that get in on the ground floor, there may be plenty of opportunities and riches to be found. However, the mobile web while progressing has seen tepid growth, so those that are not sure of this technology may want to wait on the sidelines until its future becomes more solidified. There are several limitations of surfing the mobile web with a portable device and they are important to note, especially for those looking to optimize .mobi pages, sell products and services on their own sites and for those looking to buy advertising.
Though Internet access "on the go" provides advantages to many, such as the ability to communicate by email with others and obtain information anywhere, the web accessed from mobile devices, has a large number of limitations, which may vary, depending on the device. These include the following:
It’s important to keep in mind the way that most individuals will interact with the Mobile Web. Unlike sitting at a desk and looking into a 17 inch monitor, most Mobile web users may be walking down the street or standing in line at McDonalds. Generally speaking, the screen size will affect the way that information is transmitted. Most screen sizes are less than 2 inches; the largest are only about 3.5 inches making lots of text and graphics very problematic for the user.
Another limitation is multi-tasking, when we use the traditional internet, we could have two, three or more browser windows open and have chats going on, with mobile web, one window or one task is usually all you get.
Another limitation is input devices. Forget the mouse and trackpad, if you are lucky your mobile phone has a small QWERTY keyboard and if you are not, you will have to use the traditional phone keypad.
It’s also important to point out that today’s Mobile Web pages have limited page accessibility. Unfortunately, you can’t access PDF’s, a secured connection, Flash and even many video sites.
It’s important to keep these limitations in mind when optimizing your site for the mobile web. You don’t want to spend lots of time and resources on objects that don’t work well or at all.
Get the Most Out of Your Optimization Efforts
Now that we know what doesn’t work well on the mobile web, here are some optimization tips that you should keep in mind when creating or optimizing a .mobi site.
Keywords & Keyword Phrases
When optimizing keywords and keyword phrases, keep them as short as possible. Remember those surfing the mobile web are usually using phones and smart phones and usually thumb-typing. Common sense would dictate that these individuals would try to input the smallest keywords and phrases possible.
Header Tags
While little is still known on what exactly works the best as far as getting indexed, one technique that shows promise is ensuring keywords are inserted into H1’s, H2’s and webpage content.
Linking
Generally speaking, it is usually suggested that traditional link building is not essential or even necessary on the mobile web, instead internal linking can help those that surf the mobile web and find your page stay put on it. When creating internal links make sure you focus on keyword rich anchor text.
Analytics
As of yet, there is no solid way to measure analytics on your mobile web site. Not only does traffic use specific gates of entries, but many devices are not up to par and don’t include technologies such as cookies that make it easier to track users. While this is problematic, there are a few companies that have sprung up and are trying to create quality analytic tools for mobile web developers and optimizers.
Optimization Tools
While the technology is improving, you will find optimization tools for the mobile web is in its infancy. Don’t despair, as this new realm continues to pick up steam, research, new strategies and optimization tools will be developed. One tool that is currently available and should be used is Google’s Mobile Sitemap. Definitely take advantage of this tool to help you get indexed.
The mobile web is definitely on the verge of growth. With new devices, many more users and plenty of companies looking to create standards that make usability and interoperability issues a thing of the past, the mobile web is definitely a niche worth watching.