2009 - The year mobile internet internet gets big?
We've been busy preparing a refreshed look for UIME throughout January, the main aim of this was to make the website easier to use and allow us to expand the content on there whilst unifying the look with our new mobile website (more on that next month)
Mobile Internet hasn't enjoyed the take up that desktop internet has, the initial buzz and excitement of WAP phones was quickly dashed by the realisation that they were slow to load and the content was limited to checking the lottery / horoscopes or buying yet another ringtone, 2009 looks set to be the year when perceptions finally change as handsets have become powerful enough to offer a rich user interface and more importantly display the websites we've used for years anywhere we go.
Usage of Mobile Internet rocketed by 25% at the end of 2008 compared with just 3% growth in the desktop environment, the mobile market is reaching its maturity where mobile browsing is no longer a frustrating experience - devices like the iPhone and Blackberry have made it accessible and just as engaging as the desktop.
Mobile devices also have a trump card, unlike the desktop, they're always with you, almost always on, and always connected. It's easy to pop onto ebay whilst waiting for a train or reply to a message whilst you're stood in a queue, the faster the network speed and better the interface the faster peoples mindsets will change. When combined with location based services there's going to be a huge advertising push to delivering content onto the mobile, using Googles iPhone application to search for somewhere to eat, it'll deliver the results of my surrounding area, provide me with reviews, and if I choose to dine there direct me by foot or car.
The possibilities are exciting and we'll be offering a mobile version of our site in February as a demonstration of what we can do in this field.
Thinking of optimising your website for mobile users? Why not contact us for a chat about the possibilities?
