BLOG VIEW: The other week, I saw a newspaper advertisement for Dime Bank of Norwich, Conn., that caught my attention. What stood out was the bank's contact data. In addition to listing its telephone number and website, there was a second URL with a ‘.mobi’ suffix instead of the usual ‘.com’ ending.
What is ‘.mobi’? That's a domain name set aside for accessing the Internet via mobile devices. It has been around for five years and, to date, it has never truly permeated the online culture. However, ‘.mobi’ may finally be ready to shine.
Why do we need a ‘.mobi’ when we already have ‘.com’? Well, have you ever tried looking at large, aesthetically convoluted websites on the screen of your average mobile device? Websites were originally conceived to be viewed on desktop monitors, not on an iPhone or a Blackberry that fits in the palm of your hand. There is really no nice way around it – many websites look absolutely crummy on the teeny screen of a mobile device.
Yet that has not stopped people from using their mobile devices for online activities. Indeed, the proliferation of mobile devices could be the reason why sales of personal computers are falling. This decline might be faster than some people would like to acknowledge: Last month, CNET.com surveyed the shrinkage in this market with the headline ‘The 'post-PC era' might be closer than we think.’ Ouch!
Actually, I am not navigating new territory in talking about the use of .mobi to accommodate viewing websites on mobile devices. A number of high-profile companies – including Coca-Cola, Disney, the National Basketball Association, FOX News and Rolls-Royce – already have .mobi sites set up for their respective brands. A few major international financial services companies are also taking the .mobi lead here – most notably, Deutsche Bank and Barclays.
Meanwhile, down at the analog end of the spectrum, we have the U.S. financial services world, including the mortgage banking industry. If you look around the industry, you'll probably have more luck finding a ‘Barney Frank for President’ campaign button than a .mobi website.
But why should this be a surprise? Considering the mortage banking industry's history of avoiding and delaying the embrace of new technologies – can you say ‘e-mortgages’? – the lack of activity in bringing ".mobi" to the digital lineup confirms a consistency for lagging behind high-tech trends.
Nonetheless, there are some prescient pioneers who've seen the future and are moving in the right direction. The aforementioned Dime Bank is one of a number of community banks that have .mobi sites set up, and a good-sized quantity of credit unions has also staked out .mobi sites.
If your mortgage bank does not have a .mobi site set up, perhaps it is time to get with the times. This will better accommodate existing and potential customers, and it can also open up a new channel for mobile marketing campaigns. (Yes, there is more to the online world than Facebook and Twitter.)
Winston Churchill once remarked, ‘There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction.’ Not only is .mobi a step in the right direction, it is the only digital direction where the industry is seriously lacking. Let's get with the times and follow Dime Bank's lead by adding ‘.mobi’ to our contact data.
– Phil Hall, editor, Secondary Marketing Executive
(Please address all comments regarding this opinion column to hallp@sme-online.com.)
