The mobile device will be the world’s primary connection tool to the internet in 2020. So what exactly are the benefits of a mobile website?

The mobile phone has become a technology intertwined into our daily lives. It wakes us up in the morning, reminds us of meetings, enables us to keep in contact with family, friends and business associates, receives and sends email as well as providing access to the internet – all without restriction on time or location.

The past decade has seen increasing use of the internet to research, plan, buy and share and now with internet enabled mobile phones, access to relevant and accurate information is proving a must have for consumers whilst on the move and away from a PC.

Mobile Websites
Mobile websites are built to work on mobile phones. They were created so that mobile users have sites specifically tailored and formatted for their phone with less scrolling thereby delivering the needed information quicker.

Mobile websites are specifically designed and tailored for the internet on mobile devices and formatted for the smaller screen size. They are therefore quicker to download and allow users to search for information with fewer clicks and scrolls.
Mobile isn’t that new a technology, but it is starting to make its presence felt in travel.

According to Gerry Samuels at Mobile Travel Technologies one-in-ten mobile phone owners are using their devices for travel-related services. And with more mobiles coming into use every day – particularly in emerging markets – this cannot but be a massive part of travel moving forward.

User Experience
A mobile device requires an entirely different user experience. The device is smaller. The screen is minuscule compared to other desktop displays. Input methods are often different than that of a QWERTY keyboard and the user might access the mobile web using one hand while the other hand holds a cup of coffee or grips a train handle.

Having a mobile website is one of the keys to success of any business now and in the future as mobile represents the next great frontier and will become the greatest shift of the internet since the world wide web.

The rapid explosion in the use of the mobile internet indicates great potential for brands to forge personal connections with users as mobile phones are intimate and personalized devices.

World Mobi, a world leader in mobile web development, weighed in on the concept of being able to connect with consumers 24/7 in a footloose manner suggesting that there are enhanced opportunities to deliver relevant content to anyone regardless of their location, in turn eradicating some of the limitations that fixed internet PC access is associated with.

Rhiannon Downie, World Mobi Sales Manager, added: “Having a mobile website adds value for consumers, while also being a key differentiator in today’s crowded marketplace. This service will provide the continuous flow of information that consumers have become accustomed to receiving.”

The modern traveller wants to have experiences built around their personal needs. The travel industry recognises that it must go further in its adoption of mobile and is adding increased functionality.

The Market Response
Major hotel brands have adopted the mobile websites including Radisson, Marriot, and Hilton. Radisson.mobi provides the functionality of checking your own reservation by first name, last name, and reservation number, as well as the ability to find a hotel, look at images of that hotel, and click to call the hotel. The mobile website focuses on information that is relevant to a traveller on the move, distilling the information necessary to the task at hand, such as confirming a reservation or simply looking for the address of a particular hotel.  It is up to all suppliers in the travel and tourism industry to embrace the mobile revolution from spas to restaurants to travel agencies in keep up with the shifting demand for information.