In my last entry I wrote about the advantages of having a basic mobile version of your website. The question I received the most was, “Do I have to have a .mobi domain to have a mobile website?”
The answer simply is “No.” Having a website with the .mobi domain and having a website that a mobile device can read are two totally different things. A mobile device simply needs a website that uses “wap” (wireless application protocol) in its programming language. It doesn’t matter whether the site is .com, .org, or .edu.
So what does a .mobi extension do for you?
It raises a big banner in front the consumer that says “This company has content specifically for your mobile device on their website!”
The question is whether you need to tell the consumer that or not. They seem to find it out on their own at a pretty rapid rate. The .mobi’s were conceived after a push by a coalition of cell phone carriers to foster the use of the internet through mobile devices. They figured if big brands like Target or Best Buy started advertising target.mobi or bestbuy.mobi it would drive consumers to the mobile internet.
Remember it wasn’t that long ago that companies felt they had to tell consumers that they HAD a website. Now we simply assume that if a company is open for business they have a website.
Take note if you don’t have a mobile version, the day consumers simply assume if you have a website you also have specific mobile content is not that far away. That’s why a lot of the big brands haven’t felt the need to promote a .mobi website (which is a major disappointment to all the squatters that gobbled up the .mobi extensions for the big brands.)
So let the big brands lead. The safest course for you is to follow. Until the big brands feel the need to jump up and down and shout a .mobi extension of their website, stay put. Make sure you have a mobile version of your site; you can do that without buying the .mobi domain. The big brands apparently feel the consumers’ own curiosity and need to access the web at any point in their day will naturally drive consumers to discover mobile content on their websites. The same will happen for you. Follow the leader.