Attention Mobile Developers, Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners

As the mobiEnthusiast, I purchased my first mobile (.mobi) domain name in 2007. It was an exciting day, and I had a vision for how the world would be able to access the internet from their phone and not be tied to a computer. I thought hard about the kinds of sites that would be worthwhile for people, and what kind of information they would need. Then I stopped in my tracks. I didn’t have the technical skills to pursue my passion for the mobile web.

Flash forward to 2010. I have more development skills, but my design skills are still lacking. My favorite development platform is Wordpress, and yet, the options for mobile web have still been limited for most people by a brick wall of a learning curve for xhtml, php and css. Wordpress is first and foremost a blogging platform, and so by definition, it is going to show dates for updates and require constant attention to keep it fresh for the search engines.

Finally, last month, I found a developer who has the experience to use device detection and the design skills to make the site look current. As of April 2010, there is a new Wordpress Mobile Theme that will allow you to make a full mobile site without the constant updates required for blog posts. If you are a mobile domain name investor, this is a no-brainer. Yes, this is an affiliate link, because I believe so strongly in the product that I think my readers ought to have it, too. If you know me, I am very picky about what I will promote and make sure it works.

I worked very closely with the developer and have tested it myself on one of my sites that is in development. This is a very exciting day for people who want to build full websites for phones who are short in the technical and design skills department.

I’ll keep you posted.

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Like most marketers, I’ve been watching the mobile industry for the past few years, waiting for it to gain traction as a marketing discipline. This week my patience led me to Mobile University 101 in Chicago; a one-day dive into the basics of mobile and its potential for marketing. The question on the minds of the well-dressed crowd of marketers attending was: “Is this finally the year of mobile?” The answer is both yes, and no. Here’s what I think has been holding mobile back from being adopted as a wide-spread marketing tactic: perspective.

Note: For additional insights, take some time to read the tweet stream from Mobile University.

What Mobile is Not

If you hang around advertising agency and corporate types (not that there’s anything wrong with that) it won’t be long before you hear the word ‘silo.’ In the real world, a silo is where you store stuff, like grain. In the marketing world, silo is a metaphor for separating things into self-contained units. In silos, things don’t get mixed up. They stand alone and separate. There are company silos, likes sales, marketing and manufacturing all operating independently from each other. There are marketing silos, like online and offline, broadcast and print, TV and Cable. And here’s where mobile doesn’t belong; in a silo.

It’s very tempting to separate mobile from the other marketing storehouses into its own silo, because it mostly all takes place on a mobile device. But mobile marketing is not a silo like television or newspaper. Think of mobile more like a landscape, with several mobile floras combining into a diverse marketing panorama.

How can you possibly stick all these things into the same silo?

• Short Codes
• SMS
• Mobile websites
• Apps
• Location based search
• Location based social media
• Mobile coupons and offers
• Mobile loyalty programs
• Mobile wallets
• Mobile Commerce

And Now, for the Good News

First, let me break the bad news: the mobile picture will not get any clearer for a while. The landscape is evolving. The floras are still maturing. New species are being developed. The picture remains blurry. And really, that’s good for you.

Because where there is obscurity and confusion, there is hesitancy. That’s what’s happening right now. A wait-and-see attitude proliferate the general business population because things are difficult to understand. “Let’s just wait until this picture clears up.” “Let’s wait until we understand this better.” But that’s just like saying, “Let’s just wait until we have no tactical advantage.”

The Time for Mobile is Now

The joke in marketing for the past 4-5 years is that we keep waiting for “The Year of Mobile.” What we’re really looking for is permission to move forward into this mysterious new country. “Is it safe yet?” We’re looking for safety in numbers so that our mistakes aren’t so clearly evident. Let someone else be Lewis and Clark, we’ll take the wagon train later.

But Andrew Koven gave us the right perspective on the final panel of the day at Mobile University 101. Koven is the President of E-Commerce and Customer Experience at Steve Madden Shoes. He said that “There is no year of mobile. But it’s time for mobile.”

And it is time. Time for you to jump in. The barriers to entry are minimal, and the cost can be surprisingly low. There are some small business applications available for as little as $20 a month. Don’t just admire the landscape, be the landscaper.

Are you ready to try mobile? What’s your perspective?

About the Author

Jay Ehret is Chief Officer of Awesomeness at The Marketing Spot, a marketing consulting firm in Waco, Texas. He turns entrepreneurs into marketers and transforms businesses in to brands. He blogs at The Marketing Spot Blog.

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Welcome to this week’s Carnival of the Mobilists #221. It’s my first time hosting, and I’m glad to have this opportunity to showcase the best and brightest bloggers covering the mobile space. Thank you to all of the dedicated people who not only blog, but connect with one another to share ideas and introduce their readers to the work of our esteemed colleagues. Without further ado, here we go…

A new Mobile OS from Japan? It looks like it, according to Ajit Jaokar of Open Gardens. Read more at Good news for Japan but bad news for LiMo? Japanese phone makers to develop new operating system AND open it to the world.

Readers are given a cultural lesson on Chinese New Year gift-giving customs as the backdrop for the ‘missing million’ in iPhone sales. Tomi Ahonen explains, “Forecasters predicted over 1 million less iPhone sales (some even 2 million below) what actually happened. I was also wrong obviously as nobody saw the increase in sales for the after-Christmas quarter.” The mystery is solved, along with a lively debate in the comments section in Apple to thank Year of Tiger for China Surprise in iPhone strong quarterly sales on Communities Dominate Brands.

Payment via mobile phone are headed to countries that don’t already have it, and Simon Judge gives his top observations of the Mobile Monday London’s treatment of the subject in Mobile Money on MobilePhoneDevelopment.com. It looks like operators are concerned about liability while third party developers lead the way.

It’s clear from a number of posts this week that many mobile developers and mobile marketers are still coming to grips with mobile, especially when it comes to deciding whether to create apps for particular smartphones vs. mobile websites that can be viewed regardless of which phone or mobile device the audience is likely to have.

A shattered iPhone graces Mobsessed.co.uk’s Carl Martin’s post Evidence against the iPhone Mobsession. He argues that since there is a scant 4% iPhone ownership in the UK, money spent marketing iPhone apps would be put to better use on a mobile website. He backs up his rationale with a presentation by Ewan MacLeod of Mobile Industry Review. Elsewhere on his site this week, he marvels at a University student’s use of an iPhone adapted via WiFi to run a remote controlled car. Perhaps that iPhone money should go to R&D then, Carl? iPhone + Virtual Reality Headset + Wifi + REMOTE CONTROLLED CAR = WIN

The Carnival welcomes newcomer Helen Lynch of with a pair of articles with a corporate perspective from Amdocs. Are service providers ready for the smartphone revolution? and So Many Devices, So Little Time by Mike Couture. The articles are two sides of the same issue: people who buy smartphones and don’t know how to use them, and the difficulty companies have in supporting smartphone users in their call centers.

When considering mobile design, “accessible” needs to mean more than just accomodations for physical handicaps. Economic and technological differences must also figure into the equation. Belen Pena reminds us that most people accessing the internet – as much as 87% globally – are not using smartphones. There is a distinction between inclusive design and accessible design in Narrow mobile strategies are a terrible form of exclusive design.

James Coop details the difficulty of apps marketing in an ever-changing environment in Mobile marketing for the online casino industry – iphone, ipad or i dont know?. The article is focused on the casino industry, but the struggle to keep up with technology upgrades will be familiar to all.

Andy Favell of mobiThinking.com gives us the numbers on mobile this week, and ought to be required reading for all mobile marketers and decision-makers: Global mobile stats: all latest quality research on mobile Web and marketing in one place. Andy, too, reminds us that the mobile web is not just for smartphones:

Beware: there is a lot of misinformation about the market share of smartphones and some handsets in particular. This doesn’t matter if your mobile strategy targets all phone users equally, but if you are prioritizing one handset, you must know the facts.

Here’s the thumbnail version of this in-depth report:

1. Mobile subscribers will surpass 5 billion in 2010
2. Half a billion people accessed mobile Internet worldwide in 2009
3. By 2011, over 85 percent of new handsets will be able to access the mobile Web
4. The number of 3G handsets is growing fast
5. Mobile devices sales fell slightly in 2009, while smartphone sales showed strong growth albeit from a small base
6. Estimates for expenditure on mobile advertising and marketing worldwide ranged from US$1.4 billion to $7.5 billion in 2009, all analysts forecast rapid growth
7. How will consumers use their mobiles?
8. The top five mobile network operators worldwide that derive more of their revenue from data than other operators are all Asian

I throw my hat into the ring with Social Media: Playtime is Officially Over. Since social media is mobile, and concerns mobile marketers, brands and developers, the YouTube video is a very enlightening two minutes for people who think Twitter is just to tell people what you had for lunch. (It’s a little loud, you might like it better with the sound off.)

Finally, this week’s Carnival post of the week is awarded to a post with heart, announcing an initiative that will undoubtably change many lives for the better. Carnival of the Mobilists’ very own Peggy Anne Salz of MSearchGroove.com presents THE MOBILE MOVEMENT Launches, Brings Mobile To Non-Profits; MSG Joins Advisory Board. Here’s what the new initiative will do:

Our mission is to support non-profits by bringing mobile capabilities to non-profits, helping them to reach millions more people in need by leveraging mobile devices, networks and innovative applications they will create in partnership with social entrepreneurs.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to visit the links of our contributors to expand your knowledge of what’s going on in mobile today. To see a complete list of archives, or to submit your site in the future, please visit Mobili.st (not .com).

All the Best,
Holly Kolman

Founder, Editor & Publisher,
mobiEnthusiast.mobi

Holly Kolman on LinkedIn
@mobiEnthusiast on Twitter
mobiEnthusiast’s Facebook Page

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According to Gizmodo, somebody blew it. They left their super-secret iPhone prototype in a bar in Redwood City. Here’s what Gizmodo had to say:

You are looking at Apple’s next iPhone. It was found lost in a bar in Redwood City, camouflaged to look like an iPhone 3GS. We got it. We disassembled it. It’s the real thing, and here are all the details.

All I can tell you is after looking at the specs, I want one.

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You may have noticed an ad over on the sidebar for SDCA.mobi. You may also notice that the site is a bit of a mess right now. That’s actually my site, and it’s a mess because I am taking my own advice and creating new, relevant information that people in San Diego might want to find on a mobile site. This latest version is being updated in response to the overwhelming popularity of a local Social Media contest that took over the San Diego Twitter community this month.

The contest is called “Champions of Social Media,” and thanks to you wonderful readers and a heck of a lot campaigning by my friends, I am in the finals for the contest in the “Blogger of the Year” category. You can learn more about this great community-building contest at InfluenceSD.com or by searching Twitter for the now-ubiquitous hashtag #InfluenceSD.

So, what does one have to do with the other? Simple. This contest has raised awareness of the sheer number of people involved with Twitter in San Diego. It’s pretty difficult to keep track of how many of us there really are. So, being the mobile web development proponant that I am, I’ve started tinkering with an already useful site, and have begun a beta test (well, it’s more like alpha just yet) to invite these newfound celebrities and friends to help each other find one another.

Are you in San Diego? Do you use Twitter? Do you live somewhere else and want to watch the progress of a mobile directory before your very eyes? If so, have a look at the site and join the brand-spanking-new SDCA Facebook Fan Page to find out more and to suggest some categories. Of course, you’re also welcome to suggest categories in the comments as well.

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Cutting Edge Mobile Design

The mobile web is officially open to the masses, as evidenced by all the mobile sessions at this year’s South by Southwest Party Conference. Plain old-fashioned WAP design is out. It’s time to step up the game on creating striking, captivating, eye-catching mobile design.

Need inspiration? Here are some mobile design showcases to get you going. These links are all desktop sites with rich graphics, so if you’re reading this on your mobile phone, consider yourself warned about huge graphic download sizes if you don’t have an unlimited data plan:

Mobile Design Showcase Sites That Rock

• MobileAwesomeness.com The name says it all, doesn’t it?
• SmashingMagazine.com’s mobile design trends. Stay on SmashingMagazine.com for awhile, because it has all kinds of free downloads for icons, fonts, graphics, textures, tutorials, and Wordpress themes. It’s a designer’s dream site.
• Mashable.com’s mobile web design post

If you’d rather have a how-to manual, Nokia has produced a comprehensive mobile visual design guide for newcomers on their forum, Forum.Nokia.com. They also have mobile web templates and code that you are welcome to use at will, provided you follow the very generous terms of their license agreement.

Go develop, and tell us what you made.

A message from mobiEnthusiast.mobi

Blogging as mobiEnthusiast, I’ve been nominated for a Champions in New Media Award for Blogger of the Year. Would you please vote for me? You don’t have to register or login or do any of that, just click the arrow next to my picture. When the arrow turns green, your vote counts. Comments are optional but appreciated. Voting ends 24 March 2010, so please vote now while it’s fresh in your mind. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!
– Holly

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If you happen to be in London on April 13, 2o10, you are cordially invited for drinks and mobile start-up pitches with the Mobile Brain Bank. The MoBB London synapse is sponsored by Grow VC, a crowdfunding initiative.

We convene at the Clachan Pub in SoHo at 6 pm. Registration and sign-up to pitch your start-up via here.

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VisionMobile invites you to the biggest mobile developer survey to date – 400+ developers, 8 platforms, 35+ data points, sponsored by O2 Litmus. Join in and enter a draw to win prizes. Register visionmobile.com/developers and see complete details at the survey page

.

This survey covers all 8 major platforms; iPhone, Android, Symbian, Java ME, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Flash Lite and mobile web. The research has been kindly sponsored by O2 Litmus, so that the results may be widely published in Q2 2010. The survey close date has been extended to March 26.

The survey will answer some very interesting questions like:
• How do the developer pain points vary across the Symbian, iPhone, Android et al ?
• How do App Stores compare to other go-to-market channels?
• Do developers really care about network APIs, or standardisation?

Have your say on the future of mobile development and find out what other developers think. Participants receive summarised copy of results.

This originally appeared on mobility.mobi

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Mobile Brain Bank and Symbian Foundation Host Event

Everyone who knows me personally knows I moved to San Diego for a reason: the weather. I’ll tell you what, though, these invitations from Petra to go to events in Helsinki are getting more appealing. If you’re in Finland and are a mobile developer, check this out:

Develop on Symbian … or interested in why you perhaps should? Come to the Symbian Stammtisch on Tuesday, March 9th from 6 to 9 pm.

Initiated by Symbian Foundation, arranged by Mobile Brain Bank and provided by Sasken, the first ever Symbian Stammtisch Helsinki is held at restaurant Vltava. More information and registration here: (desktop link, not mobile)http://www.mobilebrainbank.org/Events.html

You don’t want to miss this, there’s refreshments, Symbian branded goodies etc. All coold kids go, why don’t you?

Petra Söderling

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Mobile takes center stage at the 2010 South By Southwest Festival Interactive Track, which runs March 12 through March 16 at the South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, USA. The following is a partial list of seminars and training on the schedule.

What’s Hot in Mobile at SXSW

• Maps 2010: How iPad Impacts the LBS Market
• The UX of Mobile
• Touch + The Holy Grail of Delight
• Organizational Pitfalls on the Path to Multichannel Experience
• Time + Social + Location. What’s Next In Mobile Experiences?
• Mobile – the Great Channel Equalizer
• iPad: New Opportunities for Content Creators
• The Real Mobile Scoop – Agency, Manufacturer, and Carrier
• Web Evolution: The Rise of Mobile, APIs and Runtimes
• Is App-vertising the Answer
• Augmenting Your Brain With Android
• Google Hackathon: Mobile Maps, App Engine, Chrome Extensions
• What If Your Phone Had Five Senses?
• Cross Device Accessibility: Is This For Real?
• Building Mobile Games on the Windows Phone Platform
• Mobile Computing and it’s Contribution to Technology’s Exponential Growth
• The Final (Mobile) Frontier: Battery Life in Africa
• How We Built the SXSW Mobile App
• Convergence 2010: Ten Cool Things That Could Happen This Year
• Mobile Development with the Flash Platform: iPhone and More
• Augmented Reality – Gimmicky Trend or Market-Ready Technology?
• Pass it Back! Kid Apps on Grown-up Devices
• Location Beyond iPhone: Locating 100+M Phones
• Location-Based Marketing and Advertising: Targeting the Mobile Consumer
• Mobile Content is Social
• Mobile Advertising in 2010: How to Pay the Bills
• QR Codes and 2D Barcodes: Bridging Physical & Digital
• Mobile Commerce
• Mapping and Geolocation: Turnkey Approaches You Need to Know

The full SXSW Mobile schedule (may not be viewable on some phones) includes information on presenters and a summary of what each session will cover.

While you’re there, check out the updated SXSW.mobi site for mobile access to the South by Southwest Festival.

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