GWT Blog – GlobalWorldTech

The Web has revolutionized how we interact with and publish information, but up to now it has only been accessible to people with desktop devices. Web-enabled mobile phones now extend the expected global reach of the Web to three times that of today, touching one-third of the population of the planet.

Some of the more important benefits of the Mobile Web are:

• It can enable access to information, any time and anywhere there is cell phone coverage. By freeing information from the restrictions of a desk or search for a nearby WiFi hotspot, people can quickly retrieve and exchange information.
• It provides vast connectivity. One-third of the population currently has access to the Internet through a mobile device. This number is twice as many as the number of Internet-connected personal computers (PCs).
• It enables services to take advantage of mobile device capabilities such as clicking on a phone number to call it or add it to the device address book.
• It can provide location-based content. Location technologies can enable location-based information be provided to a user. This can reduce the steps required for the user to reach useful content, and so makes it accessible with the least amount of effort.

In a fast-growing mobile society, businesses, organizations and individuals need to reach and interact with their customers while mobile. For content providers, it opens a new and more profitable revenue stream, without having to rely on mobile service provider portals.

When should I start?

You should start a mobile project by defining the overall goals for the site. Consider grouping these into the following three categories for easier management and using their related questions to define goals:

• Business: These come from your project’s business goals and should be clearly defined before you begin. What are your organization’s goals? How does a mobile presence help your organization achieve its goals? Does it improve my current business reach? Does it provide new business opportunities? Is there an opportunity for innovation? Depending on your business case, you could choose anything between providing a great experience on all mobile devices, or creating a basic web site with free tools in a short time.
• User: User goals (and sometimes constraints) reflect your audience’s goals. How does your audience benefit from a mobile presentation? What tasks will they accomplish with your mobile content? Does the immediacy of mobile help the user? How will they interact with your content? Context is big in mobile, so the key is to understand your users’ wants and needs. Ensure that you value the attention, time and money of your audience, i.e. value your customer.
• Technical: Technology and resource opportunities and constraints. Look at these goals as a triangle or three-legged stool. When making decisions, try to find and maintain a balance on all three sides: business, user and technical. If you lean on one side too much or too little, then the other sides suffer.

User goals usually make a great place to start, and this is especially true when considering mobile.