Mobile Web

What Is the Mobile Web?

The term Mobile Web refers to the Internet when accessed via mobile devices such as cell phones, PDAs, and other similar products. For the purposes of this article, we distinguish the Mobile Web from the Internet we use on desktop and laptop computers by referring to the latter as the “traditional Internet.”

When a device accesses the Mobile Web, the content delivered differs from that which is seen on the traditional Internet not only because of the screen size, but also because of the type of interaction that can take place. Typically, companies can provide Mobile Web content to their customers and partners by creating Mobile Web specific versions of their content, or by relying on various usability technologies that reformat traditional Internet content for the Mobile Web. Though many companies have not set up their Web sites to respond correctly, in an optimal scenario, corporate servers should detect the use of a mobile device and respond with suitable content.
 
A glimpse into the potential adoption rate of the Mobile Web in Europe and the United States can be gauged by the Mobile Web usage rates in Japan. A recent study estimates that 53.6 million people in Japan access the Internet via mobile devices, which nearly equals the 53.7 million people who navigate via the traditional Internet.[1] It is estimated that Japan’s Mobile Web technology is roughly 1.5 years ahead of the technology in the United States.[2] Given the superior technology that Japan enjoys, it is clear why more people utilize the Mobile Web in Japan than in both Europe and the United States. It is likely that Mobile Web use will continue to rise as consumers are increasingly able to easily access desired information through their mobile devices.

A comparison between the United States and Europe suggests that Europeans are generally more likely to use the Mobile Web than Americans. Specifically, Germany and Italy lead the way with 34% of Internet users in each country also using the Mobile Web. France (28%), Spain (26%), and the UK (24%) each show greater Mobile Web usage than in the United States (19%).[3]Europe’s increasing use of the Mobile Web is reflective of their widespread use of fast 3G data networks and indicative of the growth American users can expect to witness. The Mobile Web will become more popular in the United States as Mobile Web usage becomes more efficient and companies dedicate Web content specifically designed for the Mobile Web.

[1] http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=1742
[2] http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14702667/site/newsweek/
[3] http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=1041

< previous page | next page >