It would be easy to make an argument that development of a mobile website is a frivolous endeavor, considering the advancement in mobile browser capabilities. However, the reality is that even with the ability of some smart phones to view web pages intended for desktop browsing, it is still a necessity to have a mobile-friendly aspect to your website.

Phone-based browsing is becoming too much of a presence to ignore. On-the-go connectivity isn’t just knocking on the door of technology, it’s letting itself in.

Higher resolutions still don’t compete with desktops

The foremost reason that we must let go of the expectation that handheld browsers will completely replace desktop or notebook browsers is size. Even as the resolution of smart phone screens grow, so will the resolution of notebooks and desktops, leaving even the most fierce of handhelds dwarfed by the high-definition displays of its larger counterpart.

A variation of a site that is slimmer can be registered to a mobile.NAME sub domain or setup on a .mobi address. Best practices for development of these sites make it easy for developers to detect mobile browsers or screen resolutions to redirect incoming website traffic to the mobile-based solution if necessary.

Mobile users browse differently

The second reason to consider producing a mobile-friendly site is discrepancy in usage. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to learn the habits of those browsing on a phone are much different from those browsing at their notebook. Device-driven browsing is usually done away from home or the office, and is much more purpose-driven than the usual meandering around the web that we do when in front of our laptops. When logging on in an iPhone’s browser, for example, most users are looking for specific information that is relevant to a task or conversation in which they are currently engaged. Browsing a full sized website can make finding core information difficult from a device.

This brings up the thought that perhaps a mobile version of a site shouldn’t simply be a ported version of the full-size version, but rather a simpler more intuitive site with only core information.

They make an app for that

The third reason to offer a mobile product isn’t about browsers at all. It is about applications. Much of the online interaction that users are partaking in doesn’t occur on a browser at all. Users can replace online visits by getting information or using services provided via an application. For example Fandango, — a popular site for listing theaters, show times and ticket sales – has taken advantage of this trend. Users of the iPhone can download a free Fandango application that will show current movies playing in their region and allow them to purchase tickets with a tap of their thumb.

Apple reported in January of 2009 that nearly 500 million applications had been downloaded. By April that number jumped to a staggering 1 billion downloads.

Application development is also available for other smart phones. Most notably, BlackBerry’s App World has similar software available. Like Apple, BlackBerry has thousands of options, both for free and for a small fee. Google’s Android operating system offers an array of downloadable applications, as do Windows Mobile-based phones.

With over 130 million users connecting to the web via a phone or device, mobile browsing is a technological presence that cannot be ignored. A fast expanding portion of the target audiences of most companies are connecting from a phone. A study by Informa Telecoms and Media even suggests that half of the world’s population could gain access to mobile browsing by 2010. While this estimate might be slightly ambitious, it does speak directly the uncanny growth of the mobile market. What we can draw from this is that the time to support mobile browsing is here, and companies who have not yet considered their options on a smart phone platform should do so with haste.

Mobile browsing statistics are hard to track. Most of the time users are logging on via their cell phone carrier’s high-speed network, leaving the only traceable browsing to the times that said users are connecting through a local network. Still, sales numbers and mass advertising would suggest that the public is clamoring to be connected from their phones.

The research and investment firm PiperJaffray recently made public a prediction that Apple can grow its iPhone sales into a 45 million unit per year business by the end of 2009.

The world is mobile. The time is now.