Mobile Web
Impact
Up to this point, the discussion has focused on the need to be where customers expect to find you and the need to provide them with tailored experiences especially when they are accessing the Internet from a mobile device. It is also important to examine the impact of the Mobile Web on two specific areas: Domain Name Strategy and Trademark and Copyright Enforcement.
Domain names offer brand owners the ability to interact immediately and directly with their customers and partners online. While search engines are effectively providing positive Mobile Web experiences today, the demands of consumers for more streamlined and relevant interactions will force other kinds of corporations to look to the Mobile Web in the near future. Specifically, companies will need to look more closely at their Web sites and the domain names that provide doorways to mobile interactions.
As discussed throughout this paper, domain names can impact the experiences of direct navigators, who FairWinds will argue make up a large percentage of traditional Internet users. Since these types of Internet navigators are typing domain names in the address bar in hopes of finding targeted information, it is important to own and use the right set of domain names to meet customers where they most likely will attempt to find you.
The onset and future growth of the Mobile Web requires companies to revisit their domain name strategies to ensure they are prepared. By understanding a mobile consumer’s behavior, you will be able to predict the types of names that will be used on the Web. Through analysis and strategic study, companies will be able to update their domain name strategies to own the right set of branded, unbranded, category generic, and typographical variation names needed to achieve online goals.
It is important to consider what Mobile Web users are interested in finding when they venture online and ensure that your domain name strategy properly anticipates their behaviors and protects against fraudsters who aim to beat companies in this race. By tying the right set of domain names to mobile-optimized content, users will have great experiences and will become more loyal customers.
dotMobi is a sponsored Top Level Domain (sTLD) domain name registry created by investors that include Visa, Nokia, and Microsoft specifically for the Mobile Web. Domain names in the .MOBI extension are intended to point to content that is designed for mobile consumption, and the dotMobi registry requires that a name provides such an experience if it is going to be live. Some have championed .MOBI as the catchall solution to providing dedicated Mobile Web content. At this point, however, registrations in this extension have slowed and judging from the scarcity of Mobile Web optimized content they appear to be predominantly protective in nature.
Despite the slow acceptance of the .MOBI sTLD, creating Mobile Web-specific content can add latitude to a company’s overall domain portfolio. Some examples of successful .MOBI sites include Amtrak.mobi, Hilton.mobi, and Zagat.mobi. These sites enhance visitor experiences because they cater to Mobile Web users by delivering the information they commonly expect, and by presenting it in a clear and effective way.
The inclusion of .MOBI domain names in a domain name strategy and in a Mobile Web strategy should be considered as the extension gains traction in the minds of consumers. As more users navigate to sites such as Amtrak.mobi, Hilton.mobi and Zagat.mobi, they will be more likely to attempt to access other more heavily trafficked Web sites by similar means.
As the Mobile Web continues to develop and attract more regular users, issues with domain name and sponsored advertising trademark enforcement are likely to surface more frequently. From a search engine perspective, since mobile search delivers results in a different order and different manner, it opens the door for fraudsters to operate more successfully and evasively than on the traditional Internet.
Since the technology allows users that access the Internet from mobile devices to be ushered to different content than a user from the traditional Internet, even though both users typed in the same address, Mobile Web allows fraudsters to operate Web sites and serve illegal content unbeknownst to many brand owners, governments, and Internet monitoring services. In addition, the change in user needs and behaviors and the difficulty of typing accurately on a mobile device may cause a spike in cybersquatting as the Mobile Web grows in popularity.
For a company to successfully harness the power of the Mobile Web, it must keep abreast of the domain name enforcement issues associated with this new medium. Delivering the information that consumers want requires companies to be vigilant in protecting their brands and trademarks, particularly as new technologies continue to arise. It also requires companies to be proactive in order to reduce infringements that are likely to occur as the Mobile Web continues to increase in popularity.
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