Web Strategy Is Moving

Web Strategy is moving

Do you have a Mobile Web Business Strategy?

http://MOBweb.bizA Mobile Online Business (MOB) presentation

Jack Palance - Curly: You know what the secret of life is?One thing. Just one thing.

You stick to that and everything else don't mean shit.

Billy Crystal - Mitch: That's great, but what's the one thing?

Jack Palance - Curly: That's what you've got to figure out.

City Slickers – 1991http://www.daylife.com/photo/05Tf4RY3bA2Ha

Marketing your web address

is just the same.

Make it one thing.

Don't make your customers have to

go looking for it!

Here's 2 simple questions:

If you ask someone to visityour company website, can they find it easily?

If they do it on their Mobile,what will they see?

Let's try a few to find out...

Insurance Australia Group (IAG)

PC websitehttp://iag.com.au

This website address is easy to guess.

The website clearly meets the needs of it's key target audience:

IAG shareholders using a PC

It includes shareprices and the latest news or you can drill deeper for more information.

Insurance Australia Group (IAG)

iPhone websitehttp://iag.com.au

This website address is easy to guess, it's the same as the PC website.

This iPhone website also clearly meets the needs of it's key target audience:

IAG shareholders using an iPhone

It includes shareprices and the latest news paginated for the iPhone with links to download the original PDF's if you need to.

It also offers a link back to the PC website so you can choose to browse that if you want.

Insurance Australia Group (IAG)

Mobile websitehttp://iag.com.au

This website address is easy to guess, it's the same as the PC and iPhone websites.

This Mobile website is the same as the iPhone version and is optimised to adapt to a wide range of Mobile devices.

It includes share prices and the latest news paginated for the Mobile with links to download the original PDF's if you need to.

It also offers a link back to the PC website so you can choose to browse that if you want.

Qantas

PC websitehttp://qantas.com.au

This website address is easy to guess.

The website clearly meets the needs of it's key target audience:

travellers wanting to book a flight

You can also easily browse deeper within the site if you are a frequent flyer or need other information about Qantas or it's flights.

Qantas

iPhone websiteNOT http://qantas.com.au

Recently Qantas has launched an iPhone specific website and they were able to attract a lot of media coverage:

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24198798-11869,00.html http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/qantas-launches-iphone-site/2008/08/18/1218911532594.html http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1151028577;fp;2;fpid;1 http://www.techworld.com.au/article/257648/qantas_launches_iphone-optimised_site http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/4924670/qantas-launches-iphonedesigned-website

But very few (if any) of these articles highlighted what the website address is.

You'd think you could try http://qantas.com.au...but you would be wrong.

Qantas

iPhone websiteNOT http://qantas.com.au/mobile

You'd also be forgiven for trying /mobile or one of the other common dedicated addresses for Mobile sites.

Again you'd be wrong.

Qantas

iPhone websitehttp://qantas.com/mobile

For some reason the /mobile address only works on qantas.com and NOT on qantas.com.au – even though their PC website works with both hostnames.

Unfortunately this site does not support the iPod Touch, and on the iPhone it is a very clunky experience and some of the features simply don't work at all.

However, the focus of the information seems like a good fit for iPhone users (e.g. Arrivals, Departures, Timetables, etc.).

Qantas

Mobile websitehttp://qantas.com/mobile

This website address also works for other types of Mobile devices.

However, Qantas must have lost a lot of traffic by using this non-obvious website address.

Qantas have also announced that they will be releasing a Blackberry specific site soon.

Hopefully all their sites can be integrated under a single address by this time.

ANZ Bank

PC websitehttp://anz.com.au

This website address is easy to guess.

The website clearly meets the needs of it's key target audience:

personal banking customers.

You can also easily navigate deeper if you have other information needs.

This page is a simple gateway to their online banking applications and info.

ANZ Bank

iPhone websitehttp://anz.com.au

Recently ANZ have started promoting their iPhone specific web application using mainstream media, including TV.

They have a simple and clear brand message and use a single website address.

This page offers options useful to iPhone users that are out and about (e.g. “Locate us”).

They also offer you the option to “View regular anz.com” if you choose.

ANZ Bank

PC website on an iPhone

Here's what the “View regular anz.com” site looks like on an iPhone.

This would have been a poor experience if it were the primary iPhone website.

However if you need information that's not available on the optimised site then having the choice can be essential.

ANZ Bank

Mobile websitehttp://anz.com.au

ANZ have a JAVA APP called M-Banking. It is a downloadable and installable application that allows you to check account balances, get a mini-statement and transfer money to other accounts –but no bill payment functionality.

The application must be downloaded from the ANZ website and is not easy to find. If you get a new phone you must re-install the application.

Commonwealth Securities

PC websitehttp://commsec.com.au

This website address is easy to guess and is well publicised.

The website clearly meets the needs of it's key target audience:investors and share traders

This page is a simple gateway to their online trading applications and info.

Commonwealth Securities

iPhone websiteNOT http://commsec.com.au

CommSec promote on their main website that they have an iPhone specific application.

Unfortunately they don't automatically detect if you're using an iPhone so you just see their PC website.

They also don't tell you on the homepage what web address you should use. Luckily you can click one layer deeper to a promo site.

However, if you tap on the “Explore the demo” button and follow the links you just end up at a blank page – this is because there's no Flash support on the iPhone.

Commonwealth Securities

iPhone websitehttp://commsec.com.au/iphone

Once you do manage to work out what the web address is then you will find that CommSec have created a beautifully optimised iPhone site.

With only a few small configuration changes to their web server they could easily deliver this page to your iPhone automatically from their main web address.

Apple

PC websitehttp://apple.com.au

This website address is easy to guess.

The website clearly meets the needs of it's key target audience:mac users or potential buyers

You can also easily navigate deeper if you have other information needs.

Apple

iPhone websiteNOT http://apple.com.au

Interestingly, if you visit Apple's website on your iPhone they do not detect it or even attempt to serve an optimised site.

While their website looks nice and all of the content seems available...this is not an optimal experience.

Apple

iPhone websiteNOT http://apple.com.au/iphone

Ironically, if you go to the specific /iphone website address Apple still do NOT detect that you are using an iPhone and do NOT attempt to optimise this at all.

Surely this is the perfect place to promote theirMobileMe.com service that's specifically targeted at iPhone users.

Seen your website on a Mobile?

Are you really prepared?

Do your customers get the right site for the device they are using?

Is your Mobile experience broken?

If you spend a lot of money building a shiny new iPhone or Mobile website

can people easily find it?

Are you marketing a single clear brand message and website address?

There's NO technical reason you can't use one single web address for your PC, Mobile and iPhone websites.

Web Strategy is moving

Do you have a Mobile Web Business Strategy?

http://MOBweb.bizA Mobile Online Business (MOB) presentation