Mobile phones drive shifts in Web development

Companies are rushing to redesign their websites to cash in on a growing customer base that is increasing using the mobile phone to access the internet.

Mobile internet users are growing faster than the normal internet connectivity through the personal computers.

Recent numbers released by the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) saw an increase of 200,000 new mobile phone internet users between the months of March and June this year.

Web developers

With a total of two million surfing the web using their mobile phones, local web developers are now shifting focus to creating mini sites that are more easily viewable on smaller mobile screens.

Web developing agencies like Dotsavvy are now ensuring that all new web sites developed have mobile web modules or plug-ins installed that ensure that client web sites can be viewed on mobile phones as well.

“A good number of recent requests for proposals from our corporate clients and prospective buyers make this a key requirement for winning their business,” says Moses Kemibaro, the business development director of Dotsavvy.

A new trend web developers are encountering is the growing requirement by companies to shift their message boards, discussion forums and blogs to mobile phones.

Another web development firm, Squad Digital, says it noted a marked increase in demand for mobile web projects, which it cannot comment on, that will have a mobile interface.

The internet, websites and social media, have become the ultimate place to build a brand.

They are now used by companies to launch new products, get customer feedback or solve their problems.

Shortly after Pampers launched a new brand of diapers earlier this year, the company’s marketing division quickly noticed that there was heated debate on online forums, where their consumers aired their views on the revamped product.

Riccardo Cele, Pampers Brand Manager said that the firm was able to track consumer feedback on key points such as diaper rash and leakage issues as well as gain feedback on the size of the new diaper, which was more compact than what was earlier offered in the market.

In response, the company used social media to convene a meeting with stakeholders so that it could address the issues.

It sent out e-invites to all members of the online forum where the issues were raised, managing to gather 50 guests who attend a presentation that included panelists from Pampers and the Kenyatta National Hospital.