Here is the introductory paragraph for a little taster:
"Mobile web browsing is gaining popularity and acceptance thanks to the extensive proliferation of iPhones and other mobile appliances with surf-friendly interfaces. As a result it is becoming more and more important to offer a mobile-friendly alternative to your current website. The reality is, however, that many website owners seem to have no inclination to spend money on a medium that (as far as they know) is unproven and could generate zero income. Fortunately there is a way for every website owner to create an alternative to their website and not only is it exceedingly simple but it is FREE. Now no one has an excuse to ignore this growing medium!"
In the past I have written articles about the growing importance of creating a mobile website. I am currently in the process of creating yet another article with an update on the basic methods of creating a mobile website based on StepForth's own work so that hopefully more people will take the time to do so. During my writing I came up with some burning questions:
Once I have a website how do I ensure mobile users find it? The obvious answer was a redirection of some sort but what kind?
Is there a simple answer to the most popular programming languages online?
I plowed through endless articles and tutorials that were often jam-packed with bafflegab only understandable to programmers - a group I am far from apt to join. After a while I finally came up with some answers but frankly I found the process exhausting and it became clear I had better share my findings so that others could benefit from my research. As a result, here is my latest addition to StepForth's Web Marketing Knowledgebase: How to Redirect Mobile Traffic to Mobile Content.
I must note that I am still far from confident that I have acquired all of the answers but I did provide at least one solution for redirecting mobile traffic within each of the most common web languages; PHP, ASP and ColdFusion.
If you are not of the faint of heart and you want to dive deeper into the world of mobile redirection and design I urge you to visit the Wireless Universal Resource File (WURFL).
Written by Scott Van Achte and published at 3:03 PM
Over the past few days there seems to be a lot of action with Google and Mobile search. As the advancement in mobile technology continues, the major search engines are finding their place in this infant marketplace to seek out as many advertiser dollars as possible.
Google Searches Abundant on iPhones On Wednesday, Google reported that it has seen more mobile searches by users using Apple iPhones by 50 times that of any other mobile handset, according to the Financial Times. This shows that the increasing use of mobile search will prove to be a significant source of revenue for Google and others involved in mobile search into the future, but the statistic had Google second guessing.
"'We thought it was a mistake and made our engineers check the logs again,' Vic Gundotra, head of Google's mobile operations told the Financial Times at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona."
Gundotra went on to note that the number of mobile searches could outnumber that of fixed internet searches "within the next several years" if other manufactures improve the ease of web access as Apple has.
Google Loses T-Mobile in Europe to Yahoo The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Google has lost its contract with T-Mobile (Europe) as they signed Yahoo as their preferred mobile search provider. Yahoo's growing mobile presence is also one that Microsoft is undoubtedly eyeing in their multi-billion dollar take-over attempt.
Yahoo signing with T-Mobile is a significant move given that Google's partnership with the mobile operator was one of the first of its kind. Starting in March Yahoo's mobile oneSearch will be used by default by T-Mobile customers in 11 European countries.
This may not be as big of a hit against Google as Gundotra notes "Users want an internet without fences. They know how to type in Google.com if they want to get to it. Two years ago the operators were still playing the role of gatekeepers but that is no longer the role for them."
Google Search Offered on Nokia Handsets Tuesday, Nokia announced a deal to offer Google Search to customers worldwide.
Google will now be the default search integrated into new select Nokia handsets. The deal will offer users faster, easier access to online information from their mobile devices as well as the ability to search the handset itself for any content they have stored within it.
Nokia offers easy searching only one click away from the active standby screen. By increasing the ease of use, ultimately it will increase the number of users taking advantage of the feature.
"Providing choices for our consumers is an important driver in Nokia's Internet service strategy," said Ilkka Raiskinen, vice-president, software and services at Nokia. "This integration allows our consumers the ability to use the innovative search technologies, which have made Google almost synonymous with Internet search.
Nokia and Google have had a previous relationship. Last year the Nokia N95 became the first mobile device to support YouTube, and Google Search has been available on Nokia Internet tablets for some time now.
Around 8 am PST today Google finally put the tiresome rumors to rest... there is NO GPHONE. Thank the gods! All the speculation over the GPhone was silly and getting sillier. It never made sense for Google to create its own phone so it was a real relief when they finally announced Google's development of Android with the cooperation of the Open Handset Alliance. Why No GPhone? Google's press release: "... the Open Handset Alliance and Android -- is more significant and ambitious than a single phone... we hope Android will be the foundation for many new phones and will create an entirely new mobile experience for users, with new applications and new capabilities we can’t imagine today."
What is Android? Google's press release: "Android is the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. It includes an operating system, user-interface and applications -- all of the software to run a mobile phone, but without the proprietary obstacles that have hindered mobile innovation. We have developed Android in cooperation with the Open Handset Alliance, which consists of more than 30 technology and mobile leaders including Motorola, Qualcomm, HTC and T-Mobile."
From the Open Handset Alliance: "Android was built from the ground-up to enable developers to create compelling mobile applications that take full advantage of all a handset has to offer. It is built to be truly open. For example, an application could call upon any of the phone's core functionality such as making calls, sending text messages, or using the camera, allowing developers to create richer and more cohesive experiences for users. Android is built on the open Linux Kernel." Will Google Mobile Fall to the Wayside? Within the press release Google makes it very clear that Android is only one part of their mobile initiative. As a result, they will continue to ensure that they build and diversify their other mobile concepts to allow for other mobile users that may never touch an Android-based phone.
When will Android be Available? They are 'expecting' Android to be released in the last half of 2008 on select phones.
Want to Know More about Android? Watch the Video Below:
I am not too familiar with the pitfalls of version 1.0 but according to Ask's press release the new system accounts for the US-english vs UK-english language barrier (i.e. an 'exit' on a motorway is considered a 'junction' in the UK). The other improvements included:
Receive driving directions for up to ten different destinations at one time. In other words, plan your driving route for an entire day of errands - pretty cool.
It now includes walking directions.
"Landmark Assistance" is included which, I presume, allows you to find your way to particularly popular points of interest; this would be quite handy on a holiday!
Subway stations are marked for those who wish to get around a little quicker.
Curious about how everything might look in a particular location? Try the satellite view which will give you a decent photo view of the surroundings.
Satellite shots are available for purchase on the fly... odd but okay.
If you search for any UK city within Ask Search you will be presented with a myriad of city details including hot spots, links to maps, tips, etc.
All-in-all I feel I should reiterate that Ask really has the right approach... be the best you can be at your particular niches and you will get noticed. I think Ask is playing the sure and steady approach and I believe that will steadily grab marketshare as long as they don't play any more ridiculous commercials :-P
Here is a great comment that Ask received from what is definitely a winning response to this new version:
Oh yes, I'd like to congratulate you on your maps.
I've never used Ask.com before seriously, aside from just testing out one or two things; but that was until I found your maps had walking directions.
For me, someone who doesn't own a car and travels mostly by foot or public transport, this was a really nice feature - and one that works well.
So congratulations; you've done good with this maps malarky and I'll be using your map service from hereonin.
One thing I would like to see, but this would be a harrowingly long and tedious job, is to see a mapping system that recognises subways and narrow paths. This route suggested by Ask, for example, would be much quicker if you nipped under the subway.
My friend Jennifer Laycock suggested an article today that I am glad I checked out called "Twitter Guide Part #1" written by a blogging newcomer by the name of Caroline Middlebrook. It is a useful guide for an increasingly popular social property located at www.twitter.com.
Twitter has become so popular that it has, by its own nature, become a verb; "twittering" or "tweeting" is the act of 'telling' the world what you are doing at any given moment via instant messaging, mobile texting, or emailing.
When I first heard of Twitter I had much the same reaction as many of my friends and colleagues... "why would I want to send meaningless notes about my daily activities on a regular basis? It seems not only invasive but a waste of time and energy." Well I have to say that my reaction was more likely the result of social media startup overload than having put much thought into the marketing aspects of such a utility. The fact is that Twitter has become quite a marketing tool that is worth using if you are up to the task; I started using it today.
So how is Twitter a marketing tool? Well Jennifer Laycock noted a great example - CNN. CNN uses Twitter to publish news stories as they occur so that their Twitter community can be in touch with the latest events; a powerful tool for building and maintaining credibility. From my standpoint I plan on using Twitter to tell all which articles I find most interesting throughout my day and to perhaps post quick tips or links to articles we just posted on our blog. The trick to remember is that Twitter only allows 140 characters per 'tweet' so you have to be short and sweet; tweeting or twittering is aptly described as micro-blogging.
If you would like to learn more about Twitter then check out Caroline's Twitter Guide - it is a great introduction.
If you happen to signup for Twitter find me and join my community if you wish. I plan on having a lot of fun with it from now on :-)
Here is a list of some articles that my staff and I came across today and thought worthy of sharing. Enjoy!
I, Cringely wrote an excellent article today describing Google's plans to host all of our applications. Cringely's insights are well founded in my opinion. This one is definitely well worth the read.
According to a mobile study released by Portio Research over half the worlds population will have a cell phone by 2009 and 75% of the population will have one by 2011.
"The Senate on Thursday night approved a seven-year extension of a moratorium on state and local taxes on Internet access." Honestly it is amazing to me that such a tax is even being considered - damn politicians!
"Google Inc. is confident that its $3.1 billion bid for online ad tracker DoubleClick will win over European and U.S. regulators." Personally I hope it doesn't go through simply because it has a very real possibility of giving Google a very damaging advantage over other search engines. I am still holding out hope that another player will steal more market share from Google because I prefer a more level playing field but I am well aware that is unlikely anytime soon.
And since we are approaching Halloween, here is something a little frightening for your day. A Zogby/463 Internet Attitudes poll states that 1 in 4 Americans feel the Internet is a decent substitute for a significant other for a period of time. Yikes. Oh and some other very interesting and occasionally boggling data was collected in the same poll so check it out for a laugh or two.
Congratulations to the gang at dotMobi for their successful Moniker auction in Miami last Friday. I am extremely impressed with how much they made on these domains.
As the governing body of .Mobi domains all of the money made will be re-invested into dotMobi's further product launches and promotions of this popular domain extension.
This is yet another indication that the .Mobi mobile website domain extension is here to stay and has a great many powerful supporters. If you haven't picked one up for your own brand then I highly recommend doing so quickly. The news is getting out! And no, I am in no way profiting from this recommendation... I just love the concept and I am 100% behind it.
Read up on mobile news, and mobile website creation and optimization:
On Wednesday the news lines were afire as Apple's CEO Steve Jobs announced a $200 price slash on the iPhone. Ever since the announcement there has been rampant speculation on Job's move...
Why, why, why?
Well I came across a fantastic character profile on Bill Gates and Steve Jobs by Robert X. Cringely; a man with abnormally deep insight into both men. The article is fascinating and I strongly recommend the read. After all, these are two people who have serious influence over the technological world we live in.
I enjoyed a fantastic overview of a press conference presented by Steve Jobs today. Among other cool news such as a new line of iPods Steve Jobs announced huge price slashes on the iPhone (sorry those who already bought it!) and added a particularly cool product called the iPod Touch which looks identical to the iPhone but lacks the phone capabilities.
Complete with WiFi I expect the iPod Touch to be a new rage... I want one badly! I also expect theiPhone Touch will vastly increase the frequency of mobile search since it uses the far less expensive (or free) WiFi networks that seem ever-present in the big cities.
In a post today dotMobi CEO, Neil Edwards announced that dotMobi would be releasing approximately 500 premium domain names to auction in the next few months. And yes, that includes Sex.Mobi.
Neil goes on to explain why dotMobi waited over a year to release these highly sought after domains: "We are a well funded company who has a long term view on dotMobi. The content publishing tools were not available last year to build good mobile content sites. It was not in the best interest of the consumer or the company to release names for sale when buyers would have had no good way to produce content."
As an added note Neil Edwards should have quieted a few naysayers out there who believe dotMobi is going nowhere; in a period of only 3 months, Google's index for .mobi pages has increased five times from 1 million pages to 5 million pages. Not bad for a relatively fresh domain in a emerging marketplace!
Congratulations dotMobi! I hope you guys make a killing on those premium domain names.
News of the potential Google Phone (gPhone) has been slowly but surely taking over the net over the past 6 months or so. As of late, however, the hype is louder than ever since recent (supposedly more concrete) evidence has appeared of its existence. At this point there is simply too much hearsay to really know what the heck is going on but a bit part of my gut says this may just be the biggest bad rumor ever. Unfortunately the other half of my gut wonders why Google's Marissa Mayer never actually denied the existence of the gPhone at the latest Search Engine Strategies conference.
One thing is for sure, mobile Internet use is skyrocketing and Google undoubtedly wants a sure footing in this burgeoning industry. The question is... will they meddle with the Telcos by taking their own piece of the pie or just continue to supply the ingredients?
Here are some interesting threads if you want to keep up on the latest gPhone hype:
My Prediction: Okay I am going to have fun here and try to predict where Google is with the 'Gphone'... nowhere! Look it seems bleeming crazy for Google to move on a concept that could alienate their telco partners and put them into a vertical they have little or no experience in. If they do go somewhere with this I expect it will be by way of a partnership model with a leading innovative Telco.
What Google Might Do Okay here is my serious prediction: I predict that Google will partner with a Telco to create a phone (or modify an existing one) that takes complete advantage of Google's current and upcoming web applications. The new phone will be priced well below competitors and after they get users hooked on it they will offer an innovative new concept where users receive better rates in exchange for a form of advertising (yes, advertising I mean come on, this is Google after all!). How the advertising is integrated will depend entirely on the physical layout of the phone, however, I would be blown away if the phone did not include an iPhone-like larger than life touch screen which would (theoretically) allow similar ads to what we experience now.
Google will likely make the home page default to a mobile Google page with optional personalization enabled; but they will stress the usefulness of personalization because it will enhance the user experience by providing higher quality results. The phones will become your daily update on all things online including weather, flash news, scheduling, where to go (using GPS built-in or optionally added), email... etc.
Oh and of course Google will not make these great phones available in Canada because Google likes to forget about their Northern neighbors.
What Do You Think? Is the Gphone all a bunch of whooey or are you betting on it? Drop a note!
by Ross Dunn, CEO, StepForth Web Marketing Inc. Celebrating 10 Years of Web Marketing Excellence
doMobi: Growth in the .mobi mobile web is undisputed in this post. Skip to the bottom if you just want that facts ma'am.
Huge kudos to James Pearce and the gang; I am a big fan of the .mobi concept and frankly the great support and awareness the .mobi squad brings to the mobile revolution.
Matt Cutts published a blog posting with Whitehat SEO Tips for Bloggers. I haven't read it all yet but by nature these posts are often interesting.
"Listen Up (Why your customer's native tongue matters)": Marketer Drew McLellan explains that for sales content to be effective you need to make sure your content is written in a fashion similar to how your customers speak.
All the best and I hope you all have a great weekend wherever you are. - Ross Dunn
The Mobile Web is undoubtedly going to grow and grow until a mega industry takes shape; after all, there are simply too many people getting more and more addicted to instant information gratification. This fact is not lost on any country with a mobile network and Canada is no exception. Unfortunately for Canadians we are being suffocated by mobile data rates that are exceedingly more expensive than even a third world country like Rwanda. Unless our data rates come down you can bet that Canada will be left in the dust while the world of mobile commerce skyrockets.
Don't believe me? The chart below dramatically illustrates the appalling impact of a lack of Canadian competition.
This chart and story was originally posted in April by a blogger by the name of Tom Purves. I came across it and I was struck dumb by the price gouging that this beautiful country is allowing (here are more stats courtesy of Tom). As a result, I thought I would do a little digging into the past of the CRTC (Canadian Radio and Telecommunication Commission) to see how they have handled this marketplace in the past. Unfortunately few answers were obtained... just more shock and outrage on my part. What I "loved" the most was this horrendous quotation from a 1994 announcement from the CRTC that they were opting out of regulating wireless rates:
Citing a "sufficient" level of competition in all of these markets, the agency said it will continue to oversee the setting of rates only in the case of wireless services provided directly by the nation's telephone companies. Otherwise, wireless services "are sufficiently competitive not to warrant regulation," it said. However, the CRTC also said it is "prepared to forbear from exercising some of its regulatory powers" over mobile wireless services provided directly by the telephone companies if they can show evidence of "the establishment of sufficient costing and marketing safeguards."
One thing seems for sure... if Canada does not dramatically decrease its mobile data rates then us Canucks are going to enjoy fewer benefits of the growing Mobile Web.
Here is another current article on this subject: "Mobile Web Canada"
This morning I came across a great article by Sujan Patel at Search Engine Journal called "5 Quick Ways to Optimize for Local Search". I highly recommend reading this article!
The following is a summary of the main points with an added Canadian perspective for those who want to add/edit their business listing in Canada:
1) Make sure to list your business in the following local sections of these sites:
YellowPages - SuperPages and YellowPages have the same listings in Canada so just use the SuperPages Canada link above.
Switchboard - this directory does not appear to have a Canadian version. Even if it did it would be populated by YellowPages information which you can edit using SuperPages Canada.
CitySearch - it appears that Toronto is the only Canadian region covered.
2) Make sure your address information is present within your website; a great place is the footer of every page.
3) Ensure your domain is registered with your business address. Use a WHOIS tool to verify the address is correct in your domain.
4) If you want to take your local Internet presence to a more competitive level try getting backlinks to your website with geographical references. For example, StepForth might look for "web marketing, Victoria, BC" or "SEO services, Victoria, BC"
5) Cell phone and PDA users are turning to fast local searches using their mobile devices. In order to tap this marketplace create a mobile version of your website with geographical references including nearby popular spots/businesses. You would also benefit from trading links or acquiring links from businesses in your area. Read "Stake Your Claim on the Mobile Web" to get an introduction into Mobile device marketing or read our other articles and posts on mobile.
Blink
Del.icio.us
Digg
Furl
Google
Simpy
Spurl
Y! MyWeb
In the past I have written articles about the growing importance of 
I enjoyed a 
