The .mobi debate
There has been a lot of discussion as to whether the .mobi TLD (top level domain) is needed, which has lead to an even deeper discussion, whether designing for the mobile web is needed. After reading numerous articles and forum posts, including some thought out interaction on my part, I thought it best to write an article addressing this from a user perspective using real world scenarios. This post will outline the major arguments surround the .mobi TLD, and provide objective opinions (to the best of my ability) on what possible solutions may exist.
Arguments:
- Mobile phones are only getting better. Why should .mobi take off if phones are quickly being able to browse standard sites instead of needing a mobile version.
- Redirecting the user to a sub-domain for the mobile version, or just different CSS provides a mobile friendly design.
- Any domain extension could be used for a mobile site, .mobi is a waste.
I have one statement that addresses all of these arguments. What is the best user experience? The reality is, there isn’t going to be one way of doing things. The project requirements will dictate the best mobile development route. For example, John’s Pizzeria in Small Town, USA doesn’t need a separate site branded for their mobile version. Their goal is to create a simple one page version for mobile users that lists location, menu, and contact information. Chances are, their standard site can accomplish this anyway as it likely won’t have super flashy features unsupported by today’s mobile web browsers.
What about a reference site with thousands of pages of information? In this case, simply delivering a different CSS design to minimize image elements is probably the easiest route.
Last, what if an already established Google-like company wanted to launch a new mobile GPS service project, like an ATM finder. Using the .mobi may be the best route.
I originally posted these thoughts on a DNForum thread and got some great responses. Forum member “akcampbell” stated how he doesn’t believe in mobile only website projects. He makes an analogy referencing portable DVD players to mobile phones, how you wouldn’t create a different movie for the smaller screen just as you wouldn’t create a different website. I am not going to get into this, as I feel this was a horrible analogy. However, the basis of his opinions are very important and represent what I think is the fundamental difference and why there is a debate.
Do you believe developing a mobile only site makes sense?
and…
Do you think the marketing benefits of a .mobi extension are helpful?
Regarding mobile only projects, the only example I instantly thought of was to create an ATM finder. Granted, this same site could be used for both standard computers as well as mobile devices. However, branding it, advertising, and promoting it as a mobile only site could help with buzz. Using the .mobi TLD is the icing on the cake in my opinion. Going back to the DNForum thread mentioned above, forum member “accent” shared some great concepts on some mobile only sites which included:
You are at the mall. Who has your brand of shoes?
What restaurant within walking distance has tomato soup today?
A bar code on your screen will serve as your airline ticket.
Need a taxi? GPS will tell him exactly where you are.
The store you are walking by can broadcast it’s sales coupons right into your telephone, if you want.
Now on to the marketing benefits of using .mobi. The original analogy I came up with in the DNForum thread was comparing .com to .org. Using a .com for branding most projects is the way to go. However, there are plenty of projects ideas out there (non-profit organizations aside) where branding yourself as a .org is the better route. These entities will often grab the .com as well, and redirect it to the .org. The .org can provide an image of non-bias, low or non-commercial, and educational authority (i like to think of them as the publicly available version of .edu). .mobi has the same effect. Branding yourself as primarily a mobile service provides marketing hocus pocus and a specific image to the public you serve.
The present reality…
There isn’t one way to do this. Certain sites have no need for .mobi (like an Ebay or Amazon). These companies can simply deliver a mobile version of their site under a sub-domain. Since it is still advisable to defensively register, Amazon could use amazon.mobi to always point to the mobile version. While if amazon.com detects a mobile browser, it can deliver a quick 1 sentence choice: Would you like to view the mobile or standard version?
In the end, .mobi is primarily a marketing device that can be used to better target potential customers. While some may compare .mobi to the initial marketing failures of .tv, .info, and .biz, I personally believe there can be no comparison here. .mobi represents an entirely new type of generic product delivery category, while .biz is just garbage :), .info was spammed to death, and .tv at heart is just a country code.
GPS-enabled websites will sure be interesting…
