300 Billion minutes are logged on Facebook through mobile devices, representing nearly half of all traffic. On Twitter, it is roughly 55% of all traffic. In addition, 1 in 7 email messages are viewed on a mobile device. Most current websites are “mobile unfriendly” at best. Many are completely unreadable.

In Adwords, Google now penalizes sites that are not compatible with mobile devices. Do you think they are now penalizing sites that are not mobile friendly in organic search results?  Is this fair, in light of Google’s Android ownership? Probably not, but who is going to challenge them?

Internet marketing guru, Jason Fladlien believes that today there are very few good examples of how a mobile websiteshould be designed and function. As one of the best counter-examples, Olive Garden sets the standard in doing this the right way.


Mobile Marketing – The Importance to Retailers

Mobile users need an entirely separate experience from desktop users. A site viewed on your desktop is much more about branding, whereas, a mobile site must be functional. If  you’re a business owner, consultant or internet marketer, here are some ideas to incorporate in your own mobile marketing strategy:

1. Use a mobile squeeze page to capture email and possibly phone numbers. In addition, you can “help” businesses to build squeeze pages.
2. If you’re an internet marketer with “products,’ create a simplified sales letter without video, non-essential layout and content graphics and shortened copy. Both Paypal and Clickbank have very good mobile functionality.
3. As an affiliate, create “mobile specific” presales pages for sales letters that look horrible on mobile devices. With minimum SEO work, you can rank well.
4. Use the following code for your phone numbers on mobile sites: NNNNNNNNNN to allow users to “tap” to call you.
5. Build a lead capture page for restaurants. Intentionally go out to eat at restaurants with no mobile site (or a poor one). Then ask for the owner and when he/she comes tell them there is something wrong with their website (show them what their site looks like now). Would you be interested in a way to improve your current results.
6. Find local businesses with flash based websites and show them what it currently looks like on a mobile device. Interestingly, these sites are very pricey. Do you think they would pay you to create a site that would actually work?
7. On commercial breaks in your favorite TV show, do local searches on a mobile device. When you find non-functional sites, make a note to contact the owner with an offer to assist.

Designing a functional mobile website can be very challenging due to the number of different resolutions and limited use of tables, columns, videos, flash, etc. Rapid Crush (Jason Fladlien and Wil Mattos) has developed a simple solution to the problem with their WP Mobile Pro product.  Their product is based on WordPress, which turns a complex issue into a simple, straightforward effort, even for those with very minimal experience.

Related articles

• Why there will never be a ‘Year of Mobile’
• Tips & Tricks: Print from a Mobile Device
• Mobile Devices Becoming Preferred Portal To The Internet – IDC
• Mobile Thursday?