The iPhone has undeniably changed the mobile marketing landscape, and for good reason.  It was reported that iPhone customers are 12 times as likely as others to use their device for mobile video and mobile TV, as well as basic internet usage overall.  With more and more Apple-inspired cell phones from LG, Samsung and others that mimic iPhone attributes like the touch screen and user interaction, it’s become a dream for mobile advertisers.

With the release of the upcoming SDK and the access for third-party developers to market their wares via the ever-popular iTunes interface, advertisers and brands alike will be chomping at the bit to use the “it-factor” of the iPhone to boost brand awareness.

Beyond building simple “iPhone-versions” of websites and WAP sites that brands have already been using since the launch of the iPhone, the SDK will allow for the development of custom widgets, games, and other software platforms that will use the features of the iphone as a ladder to concrete brand awareness.

Just this month, Intuit unveiled an iPhone-specific version of it’s popular Quicken Online mobile software to be available via the new iStore, as well as new games from the likes of  Sega, EA, and Namco.  It should be interesting to see how creative brands will get, and which apps will stand out from the rest.

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I love watching Top Chef on Bravo TV and think that Bravo is one of the very best at integrating mobile into TV. I notice the most “here’s how to interact with us via mobile” notifications during Bravo shows. So I decided it was time to review one of their mobile sites.

URL:
wap.bravotv.com
Click on the Top Chef banner

Quick Site Description:
The mobile site for Top Chef.

First Impression:
Easy to recognize that it is Top Chef and looks like I could find out just about anything on my favorite contestants and judges.

What’s Here:
It’s all about the contestants and their food. And the judges. Perfect, all the reasons I love the show.

Ease of Use:
The site is hard on my eyes because they use white text on an orange or red background. I can read the site, but honestly don’t want to spend much time here because it hurts my eyes and gives me a headache. It makes this a quick check in site, not a site on which to spend any length of time.

Take away point: color contrast is even more important on mobile than the full screen web. Anything that reduces the readability of a mobile site, even by a little bit, impacts the visitor by a lot.
.
Find Stuff Factor:
The site is fairly well organized, but often things are one more click away than I am expecting. For example, when looking up Recipes, the first click is to the contestant’s name, then the second click is on the name of the recipe, this screen shows a quick one liner about the recipe from the chef and then finally with a third click I can get to the ingredients. It requires another (fourth) click to get to the instructions.

On mobile even one extra click can be annoying and so everything should be found in as few clicks as possible. I would suggest that the quick one liner be on the page with the recipe name. Not only would this reduce the number of clicks to get to the recipe, it would help pull a visitor into a recipe.

Best Part(s):
The Fun & Games section. I especially like the Rate the Plate where visitors get to rate a dish. This is what we want – to interact with the show and feel like we’re a part of it. The Test Ur Top Chef Knowledge section is totally fun too.

In my opinion this section should be much closer to the top of the mobile site and given more exposure. This is what would keep me coming back to the site.

Where to Use It:
While watching Top Chef. Use it to rate the plates you’re seeing on TV. Anywhere you happen to be when you simply have to know what happened – the Episode Recap could save your curiosity. Somewhere with decent lighting and/or you have remembered to bring your reading glasses.

Bottom Line:
I wish the site was easier to read and stay on longer. It could be so much more fun if it didn’t hurt my eyes. I will go to the site for the Rate the Plate opportunity.

Score:
3 out of 5

Site Powered by Starcut.

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The Australian IT has reported that the University of Adelaide and m.Net have performed research leading them to believe that critical mass is about to occur with the mobile web in Australia.

m.Net Directory of Research Dr. Marisa Maio Mackey is quoted as saying.

“For the first time we’re starting to see the use of mobile data (or non-voice) services has reached a critical mass. MDS will take off in the next six to 12 months”

During their research they discovered that people who accessed a web site from their phone doubled to 40% over the last year and that 80% would increase their usage if it were not for carrier pricing holding them back.

It’s an interesting article, check it out. There’s also a contradicting report from Sony and 3 Mobile that indicates entirely differing results on a similar study.

m.Net blogs here if you’re interested.

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Yesterday after Russell Beattie blogged about the closing down of Mowser, I noticed a few mobile web is dead posts going around.

I’ll let you in on a little secret, the Mobile Web isn’t dead. It’s not entirely understood and some folks are finding that out. Why? It’s a different space. Today, the Mobile Web is a light weight extension of the web and so rendering full blown web apps as they appear on the desktop browser is not really feasible on a light weight extension.

Call me crazy but I don’t believe that’s what the mobile web is going to evolve into. That’s where some over-estimation has occurred in my opinion. We’re just not going to see the entire web and the web sites as they exist today go mobile and why should we?

It has the potential to be the ultimate social network if someone would create the killer mobile social app. While it’s only a lightweight extension other huge advantages like presence of you and others, location and mobility all exist. These are different dimensions that don’t exist on the desktop.

Wouldn’t it be better to have mobile social web apps that let you connect to businesses and individuals based on your location while you’re moving or stopping in new places vs. a mobile version of a desktop based web site?

People want applications like that. They also want to talk to the app not just the device. When will we see voice activated mobile web apps? If I’m on a mobile site and looking at a product I’m thinking of purchasing I want to be able to issue voice commands to move through the process, not type or click:

• buy it
• sign in
• sign out
• call me for payment details

That’s why it’s different. The mobile web apps we’re seeing now are mostly mini versions of existing web applications.

The mobile device is capable of so much more and the startups that figure that out are gonna have themselves some over the counter painkillers.

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Russell announced on his blog that he’s going to be shutting down Mowser. He doesn’t really say when and I don’t think it’s imminent. It looks like he could really use a buyer or investor that will hire him.

Mowser is pretty cool, it makes mobile sites on the fly. Heck, I might be interested in it…

I don’t know how much Russell has invested into this, though it sounds like he bet a lot on this project. In fact Russell sounds like he’s hurting so if you’re interesting in owning Mowser get in touch with Russell.

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With the IPhone growing almost as ubiquitous as cell phones themselves, businesses large and small are rapidly developing versions of their established web sites specifically for the Apple device, apparently whether there’s a good reason for it or not. 

As Apple has redundantly advertised, one of the iPhone’s greatest strengths is it’s full Web browser that enables users to access and view complete, original Web sites and not “watered-down ones” designed for small cell phone screens. Despite this established fact, a number of companies, including Ion Interactive, are preparing to release software that “helps marketing departments customize their business’s web site for the iPhone.”

As the Wall Street Journal sarcastically reported, “this is one of those company-you’ve-never-heard-of-does-something-you-don’t-care-about stories. Except that it illustrates how easy it is to get caught up in the moment.”

A study conducted by Internet Researchers StatCounter showed that people who own iPhones account for only about 0.18% of Internet browsing in the US. Naturally, one would only speculate that the majority of those unique users visit more established, iconic websites like MySpace, Google, or Yahoo when they find time to browse the web from their mobile handset. Companies like Ion Interactive, however, are striving to change the browsing habits of iphone users by helping businesses of all sizes attract and retain consumer attention through products and services that will customize websites specifically for the iPhone.

It’s a forward-thinking plan that currently clashes with the conventional wisdom that the iPhone is mobile marketing territory for the “big boys only.” Nonethless, learning, planning and building for the “unavoidable future of mobile smartphone growth and its resulting demand” is potentially one of the smartest courses of action for any mobile marketing business to undertake in 2008.

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Since I’ve been doing mobile website reviews here I’ve found some great mobile sites, but none quite as terrific as this one reviewed today. I’ve also embedded a few mobile site building tips into this review. Enjoy.

URL:
CalcNexus.com

Quick Site Description:
Online Calculators for Mobile Phones

First Impression:
Literally, the first thought that went through my mind was, “Wow. I’m going to use this site a lot.”

What’s Here:
Featured on CalcNexus are 25 different fill-in-the-blank worksheets that calculate what you want to know. Seven categories of figures you’d need to know from Mortgage & Loan, Auto & Car, Financial, Health & Fitness, Conversion Tip (you’re gonna love this one), and a Grocery Price Calculator. Within each type of calculator there are several options and they are the kind of things you’d want to calculate on the go.

For example, you’re wandering around a car dealership lot, spot a car you’d love to drive but don’t know what the payments would be. Head over to CalcNexus.com and fill in the blanks – presto, you know what your payment would be.

There’s also the Tip Calculator that not only determines how much to tip based on the receipt amount and percentage you want to give, it also allows you to input how many people are splitting the bill. So next time you are out to lunch with a large group, just use this handy calculator.

CalcNexus has included on the site tools that people would really use when they are mobile. That’s a key component to a successful mobile site.

Ease of Use/Find Stuff Factor:
Couldn’t be simpler or more straightforward. Each calculator comes right at the top of the page and below it are the instructions. This is a terrific mobile site building tip – put what people want to use now at the top and what they need “just in case” at the bottom. The less scrolling your visitors have to do the better.

Best Part(s):
The Grocery Price Calculator has got to be my favorite one. You can use this calculator to determine whether you should buy a regular priced item with a coupon or an item that’s on sale. You can also compare the prices of items of different sizes. Way cool.

What’s Missing:
Can’t think of a thing.

Where to Use It:
Everywhere. Anywhere. This site would be helpful in car dealerships, at the gas station, while you’re shopping for houses, at the bank, at the grocery store, at a restaurant, in a shopping mall, on a date, at the gym. Wow, the list is almost endless.

Bottom Line:
Go to this site now and bookmark it on your mobile. Use it (which you’ll love personally anyway) and take notes so when you’re building your mobile site you do as good a job as Vertex42 LLC, the makers of this site did.

Score:
5 out of 5

Site Powered by:
Built from scratch following www.w3.org standards.

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