I'm starting to wonder whether every business that wants a mobile site has really worked out why they want it. For many it is a reminder of the way in which many businesses obtained a website a decade or so ago. They decided they wanted one and then pretty much copied the style of someone elses site.
The problem with this approach on mobile is that in general it is impossible to cram all the details from a full size website, into the space available to view on a mobile phone, or other mobile device. It is also going to be very difficult to navigate and probably frustrating to the end user.
So the approach we take at Dialogue Communications is to look at the business and what it is trying to achieve, firstly on the main website, which should be the place which all potential viewers should be directed. Then we look at why you would want to have a mobile site. What do people want to do when they are out and about and using their phone. With this approach we usually end up with a subset of the features of the main website, and may also have something quite different.
For example, a customer approached us with a Cycle Shop. A very successful business, with a very successful website. We didn't want to mess with this. But we thought that we could create a mobile site which was almost a 'must-have' accessory to the website. We used the mobile site for two feature areas: 'My Cycle' and 'My Rides'. The 'My Cycle' section included details about the bike the user had bought, when its next service was due and 'news' about any of the components. When a reminder was sent to the cyclists mobile to notify them of an impending service, the reminder would include a link to 'My Cycle'. The 'My Rides' section is all about organising cycling trips with a group of friends. You can send out invites and monitor who has accepted. You can then send out group messages, if the weather is too bad or you just stayed in bed. You can also 'blog' what happened on your trip.
In this way, we think you can give people something simple and useful which helps them and their customers and has them coming back for more later. So to answer the question I posed in the title of this posting. You bother if and only if you have something useful you can provide on a mobile website.
