I am a senior in college and started my own company online last year. I have a Website, but now I’m interested in looking at the mobile space for my business. Do I need to redesign my Website? Are there any resources for me to create a mobile Website?
— A. Watson, Via the Internet
The mobile space is exploding, and with tons of new tools constantly being developed, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. I would recommend registering a .mobi domain, in addition to your regular .com. Before you rush out to hire a mobile Website designer, however, you can do a few simple things.
First, check to see whether your Website, as it is now designed, can or will
display on mobile devices. A simple check at Network Solutions’ Website (http://netsol.ready.mobi) or at Ready.
mobi (http://ready.mobi) should do the trick. The test rates Websites on readiness, size, time, and cost. It also provides a visual of your Website on various mobile devices.
In terms of your company, I would recommend consulting a professional mobile Website designer. If you are happy with your current designer, then by all means, continue the relationship. I would suggest someone who has an understanding of aesthetics and functionality and can effectively communicate your business to potential customers.
There are some do-it-yourself applications such as Swift (www.swift
mob.com) and Winksite (www.wink
site.com), which is more of a moblog (mobile blog) tool that is still up-and-coming.