Marketers ’should develop websites for different mobile platforms’

Business looking to utilise mobile marketing should develop different websites for each class of handheld device, one expert advises.

Likening the current state of mobile web to the capability of desktop web in 1998, Jakob Nielsen, principal of the Nielson Norman Group, says firms should even consider specialised mobile applications for their most devoted users.

In his Alertbox column, Mr Nielsen suggests that if a service makes sense for mobile users, at least one mobile-optimised design should be created.

He tells marketers: “If your site has both a mobile design and a desktop design, serve the mobile version to all mobile users - even those with phones that support full-page browsing.”

When it comes to deciding whether to use British or American English on a site, the expert believes that marketers should identify which is most appropriate for the company and its customers and stick with their choice consistently through all offerings.