dotMobi

Webbys time again! Show your support for .mobi ...

Has it been a year already? The Webbys Awards are here again.

The Webbys are the Internet world's equivalent of the Oscars and they always attract a high caliber of entries. There are many categories, and many ways to award winners. There is a set of nominees which are voted on by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, and that same set is also voted on by "the Public" via the People's Voice Awards.

Then are Honorees; these are runners up of merit who receive a certificate but aren't nominees.

2007 was the first year of awards for mobile web sites; .mobi sites made a small presence that year. But in 2008, there are quite a few .mobis scattered in there.

And now through May 1, 2008, you can show your support for .mobi by voting for:

"Radical Media for iPhone" in the Entertainment category and for ZAGAT.mobi in the Listings & Updates category.

I'd also like to send big congratulations to the following .mobi Honorees:

• High School Musical 2
• CommNexus San Diego Mobile
• http://peroniitaly.mobi
• moko.mobi

But there's always a downside ...

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:

Super Happenings

Toronto was the stage for out latest Happening; since it's a regional center of activity for mobile, we had received many requests to have one there.

So on an unusually warm and gorgeous weekday evening a couple of weeks ago, my colleague Chris Campbell and I were delighted to meet and network with mobile developers, marketers, bloggers, registrars and dotMobi Premium Name domainers and developers from the Toronto metro area. Everyone in attendance was able to introduce themselves and tell the entire group a little bit about what they do in the mobile space. We heard from domainers about what is going on with their sites like ringtones.mobi, price.mobi, scottsdalespas.mobi, roses.mobi; and a quite a few others, too.

We heard what Canadian companies like ooober, jambomobile, Carlson Marketing Canada and Mustard Seed eCommerce are doing with mobile right now. Beginners were networking with more advanced types. Developers were chatting with domainers. Marketers were talking with developers. And of course we spoke about our latest activities, such as what we've done with our DeviceAtlas.

As we heard at previous Happenings, several in attendance said that they are interested in attending more of what I'll call a "Super Happening" for now.

dotMobi Happenings: More happening.

Our first two Happenings -- held in Los Angeles and La Jolla, CA a couple of weeks ago -- were a hit. We enjoyed meeting domainers and others with keen interest in dotMobi and sharing information and ideas. I noticed great chemistry between various domainers and those with interest in development partnerships who were meeting each other for the first time. The energy and ideas that came from these Happenings was powerful, and we learned a few things from meeting dotMobi enthusiasts face to face in an informal setting.

One thing we learned from some is a desire to learn more about mobile development tools and resources, monetization strategies and ways to partner with others with experience in mobile who have the human and/or financial capital and desire to work with someone with a great name portfolio. To that end, we intend to structure future Happenings to address this feedback, and we will continue to refine our Happenings as we gather additional great ideas from the community. And speaking of more of them, our next two Happenings are in:

• Toronto, ON - Wed., April 9th at 7 PM
• Boca Raton, FL - Mon., April 28th at 7 PM

Seating is limited and attendance is limited to those with invitations that will specify the location and other particulars.

Request an invitation. (Please indicate your full name and desired Happening city.)

Stay tuned for details on Happenings planned for New York, Atlanta and various other spots around the world in the coming months.

dotMobi Happenings are free, casual, very conversational and always at a cool place. It’s your opportunity to meet dotMobi executives and speak freely about what’s on your mind and what’s on ours. And of course it’s a great way to network and meet others who are interested in dotMobi. We hope to see you at one of them!