How small businesses are thinking really big

In case you didn't get the memo, April 21-25 is National Small Business Week in the U.S., sponsored by the Small Business Association. And while it's true that big brands with big budgets are most visibly promoting how they're using "dotMobi thinking," increasingly big numbers of small businesses are showing leadership in bringing innovative ideas to the mobile web. 

As I heard one panelist describe it at ad:tech last week, the mobile Internet is the "connective tissue" of our technology-driven and busy lives -- keeping us in tune with with the vital functions we need to thrive both personally and professionally. It's no wonder it's forecasted half the world's mobile phone subscribers will be browsing the web in just three years (Informa 2007) ... and 85% of iPhone users already do so. Now is the time for any business owner or marketer to seize the day.

The best mobile web sites acknowledge that we want utility -- usefulness -- out of our mobile web experiences that bring convenience to how we manage our day-to-day lives. Small conveniences immediately translate to customer satisfaction, and that means increased loyalty, and deeper & richer customer relationships. We all know it's far more efficient to keep a customer than to acquire a new one. And in this economic climate, retention needs to be foremost in any marketer's mind -- especially for small businesses who need to be even more judicious with their marketing spend.

And many small businesses are using "dotmobi thinking" to deliver satisfaction to their customers by providing utility - in simple and small ways that just make sense. For example, Heritage Texas Properties in Houston offers a mobile web site for out-and-about prospective property buyers. Accessing their site from your mobile device, you can view Houston listings, get contact information for any of their offices or agents, review local city information like news, weather and dining, and even calculate your estimated mortgage using their mobile-friendly calculator. When someone is in a car and viewing property, these kinds of simple features and useful applications really deliver.

Restaurants are also making small steps towards delivering great experiences. Nottingham's Restaurant & Tavern in popular ski resort Big Bear Lake, California uses their mobile web site to offer hours of operation, the menu, directions from local areas, a calendar of upcoming musical events and a quick link to call them; after all, a phone makes calls, too.  Nottingham's has obviously thought about what their customers want to access while in a boat on the lake, on the chair lift or strolling through town. The content is straightforward, but it's sure to result in lasting relationships with customers.

Both sites also use some best practices from both a technical and marketing perspective. First, they each score a perfect 5 out of 5 on http://ready.mobi for mobile performance, simply meaning the sites will work well on most phones. Second, they each advertise their respective.mobi sites on their desktop web sites! After all, how are your customers going to know you have a mobile web site if you don't tell them? It's important to differentiate yourself as a small business and show you provide this added convenience.

If you have a small business and are ready to establish a mobile web site, I have five tips to get you started:

1) Choose a name for your mobile destination and buy your own .mobi domain name. A .mobi name tells your customers you have a mobile-friendly site and that they'll have a positive experience.

2) Decide what content is right for your customers in their mobile environment. It may be all you have on your existing site formatted differently ... or maybe just part of that content. You may even want to add different content like small thumbnail photos of your location so it can be easily recognized from the street.

3) Start small with a focus on utility.  The best current examples offer convenience through usefulness. Your site does not have to be complicated or use rich media to be effective. Learn what works, get feedback and grow from there.

4) Use mobile-friendly services for web site development. If you're hiring a professional,ask what experience they have in mobile web specifically. There are some subtleties to good mobile web design and development so make sure your professional is knowledgeable. You might also consider using a Certified dotMobi Web Developer. Alternatively, there are plenty of great tools -- many of which are free or nearly free -- to build your own .mobi websites (try a web search for ".mobi site builder").

5) Don't expect immediate impact; the mobile web is still growing! Mobile web traffic is still small compared to the PC-based web, but we're at the edge of a tipping point towards mobile web adoption. Businesses who demonstrate leadership in this area have an advantage. Experiment with mobile search and advertising; it can be extremely cost-effective. Then watch your traffic -- and your business -- grow.

Small businesses that are using this kind of "dotMobi thinking" are poised for big success. The mobile web era means customers expect instant satisfaction. Being available to your customers 24/7 is possible with a small investment and practical thinking through a smart mobile web site. Don't believe that new technologies are only for big brands. At dotMobi, we believe in the everyman's mobile web.

Comments

[Holly from mobiEnthusiast.mobi]

Thanks for the update, Amy. This is great news for small businesses, and I will be sure to point to your blog entry when talking to small business owners.

Any chance of a case study on how a small business with a .mobi name is getting positive feedback and numbers to back it up, or is that further down the road?

[Amy]

Hi Holly. We're working on more case studies across these and other categories. We're getting lots of great submissions each day and we're working through the list! I'll post something when they're ready. Hope all is well.

[Henry]

I think that point "Decide what content is right for your customers in their mobile environment" is the most useful among them!