From nice-to-have WAP sites to must-have mobisites

A few years ago, mobile strategy was focused on SMS and the only mobisites around were WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) sites. WAP was designed to create websites for viewing on the mobile phone. The problem was the technology was very limiting and there were very few WAP sites, which meant there was nothing to draw users onto the mobile Internet.

Mobile was therefore seen as a support channel, while TV, radio, print and the Internet was used to drive content to consumers. However, the landscape has changed and mobile is now standing firmly on two feet. So what's changed?

The market

The most important thing that has changed is the consumer. With the proliferation of 3G mobile phones and modems into the market, consumers have started accessing the Internet more from their phones.

Faster data speeds have meant richer content and therefore more reason to get online. Admob^* stats for the month of May 2008 showed local users generated over 159.16 million page impressions on the mobile Internet.

More and more people are therefore surfing the mobile Internet. Given our low Internet penetration stats in South Africa, many of these people aren't surfing the net on PC. Mobile is their only form of access.

The technology

Technology has also improved. Cameras and video capabilities are standard on most phones and screen resolutions have improved in leaps and bounds.

What's more, mobisites have evolved from first generation WAP sites which were mostly text driven to be now on par with most traditional websites.

Take for example, the mobsites from publishers such as News24, Standard Bank and Vodacom's upgrade mobisite. On the News24 mobisite, you can read the news and view pictures just as you would on its Internet site and download mobile content. On the Standard Bank mobisite, you can use its cellphone banking, locate and download a map showing your nearest ATM or branch, view other product information such as home loans and participate in its Pro20 cricket competitions. Vodacom's upgrade site allows you to search through phones, see what they look like, examine their features and see what contracts they are available on.

Not just text-based

Far from being just text-based, consumers can now download video clips from mobisites or even watch streaming video on their phones. They can initiate purchasing decisions, log on to update personal information or search for a company's contact information and phone them immediately.

Mobisites are therefore no longer a nice-to-have. They are a means to reach out directly to consumers. And while consumers are not always watching TV, reading newspapers or sitting online, their phones are always within reach. This results in increased Internet usage from consumers, which is why mobisites are fast becoming an imperative for companies in South Africa.

^*Admob is the world's largest mobile advertising network on the world. It works into 160 countries and releases monthly stats on mobile usage. South Africa currently generates the fifth most number of impressions of all countries on its network.