Companies Who Don't Adapt Are Missing Important Marketing Opportunities
PHILADELPHIA --(Business Wire)-- Sep 23, 2008 Experts in mobile marketing say today’s unveiling of the T-Mobile G1, the highly-anticipated HTC-manufactured phone that uses Google’s Android technology, underscores the need for companies to ready their Web sites for effective handheld viewing.
“G1 represents another step toward complete Web access for people on the go,” said Chuck Sacco, a business leader in mobile application development and CEO and co-founder of PhindMe.net, a mobile technology company that provides organizations with easy-to-use tools to create mobile-tailored Web sites. “What we’ve seen with the BlackBerry and the iPhone is a shift away from cell phones to smart phones and the G1 is going to further spur that shift. With Google’s Android technology also available to other cell phone manufacturers who want to develop smart phones, we anticipate a spike in the number of people using handhelds for the kind of online information they used to access while tethered to the home or office computer.”
While most businesses have yet to investigate whether their Web site is accessible to handheld users, according to an M:Metrics March 18, 2008 survey, 85 percent of iPhone users access the Web for information and are 10 times more likely to search the mobile Web than cell phone owners. Mobile technology experts say that the public release of Google’s Android by a major mobile phone manufacturer (HTC) with a major carrier (T-Mobile) signals increased acceleration of the trend.
“Companies spend a lot of resources on intricate Web sites that simply don’t translate to the small screen,” added Jon Cooper, CMO of PhindMe.net and a 10-year veteran in online technology and interactive marketing. “With the market transitioning toward smart phones, businesses are missing an important opportunity if they don’t create streamlined versions of their sites that are both accessible to handheld phones and provide information that people on-the-go actually need. Someone looking for lunch isn’t going to care about the history of your restaurant–they need timely information such as where you are and how to get there, what’s on your menu and what’s on special. You should make that information accessible on their phone to maximize your marketing opportunities,” Cooper added.
As T-Mobile rolls out the G1 this October, Phindme.net will be launching its Everywhereigo online brand. This suite of tools, available directly to businesses, will enable them to make mobile-friendly Web pages that work on every cell phone and smart phone, and stay in touch with their customers or members wherever they go with group SMS (Short Message Service) text messaging and mobile tags.
PhindMe® is a primary provider of mobile customer interaction and mobile consumer information solutions for businesses. With PhindMe's tools, businesses can improve response from traditional advertising and create more immediate and loyal connections to customers who are increasingly equipped with Internet-ready cell phones, Blackberries and iPhones