Do You Need a .mobi Domain for Your Blog?

I’ve said that mobile blogging will be big in 2008. That means that more folks will be both creating and consuming blog content via mobile devices. So the question has come up: Do you need a .mobi domain for your blog?

There is a lot of .mobi FUD and madness out there, and the combination is combustible. Some folks think the whole .mobi thing is a marketing ploy, while others are cashing in. Bloggers (and many others, too) feel caught in the middle.

What I want to do here is examine a couple aspects of this:

the history of .mobi and who’s behind it
what it would mean for your blog to have a .mobi domain
do you need a .mobi name to have a mobile version of your site?

The video’s a little rough around the edges, but I’m not after Best Picture, or anything. I just find that it’s sometimes easier to talk about stuff than it is to write a humongous post. If I spend too much time editing it defeats the point.

And yeah, you can see that I’m not happy about acquiring remarkablogger.mobi–I feel like maybe I gave in to my fears of being left behind should .mobi become the future of the mobile web. I wish I didn’t have to do that, but I feel like it’s necessary. Doesn’t have anything to do with money, has everything to do with control, standards, and openness.

Update: Tip of the hat to Roger at Red Sea and Sound for prompting this. My apologies for the oversight.

Filed Under: Blogging

http://redseasound.com roger

hi michael, no thanks for the inspiration for this post?
http://www.onfinancialsuccess.com Aaron Stroud

Thanks for the tip on the “small screen rendering.” My site is readable, but not particularly attractive when crammed onto a small screen. I guess I have another .css file to write. Yet another task to put in my GTD system!
Michael Martine

@Roger: sorry for the oversight! I’ve edited the post to correct it.
gary

I think that arguing against .mobi for a mobile site is somewhat like arguing that a big screen site should use an alternative to a .com address.
If the .com is available – you tend to use it… it’s only when you have a need for alternatives that you explore the alternatives.
IMHO, the same applies to .mobi…. if you can get your domain in a .mobi, use it. – generally speaking, it’s often possible to get hold of it (at present)… in 3 years people will be asking themselves why the **** didn’t they get their .mobi?
For the sake of $7 a year I really can’t understand why the **** we’re even having this debate, any business turning over more than 37cents per annum isn’t going to have more than 37 seconds hesitation before securing the relevant .mobi of their choice..

Any one who argues that the mobile web won’t take off is probably the same guy who sleeps on the park bench advising passers by which stocks to invest in!

Anyone who argues that the mobile web is the same as the web as we already know it is probably friends with the guy above.

Anyone who argues that .mobi is pointless (even as a defensive play) has a good chance of knowing the two guys above having met them at the soup kitchen.

In all seriousness, I really do not understand the detractors…. it is nonsensical to me.

I almost forgot; your question – should you use a .mobi domain…

For $7 it’s a no brainer, even if you use m.blog.com as well… the easier it is for your punters to find you, the better.

Any more silly questions?
Guy

Hi dude,
nice blog.
wanted to clear up a couple of things.
it is cheaper for people to get a .mobi as for only $8 they can prob get the name they want, whereas it prob almost certainly is not available in com.
also if you go to http://site.mobi
you can develop a site as easy as 123 for free! it is as easy as posting an ebay ad.
also, you mention typing .mobi is time consuming. one big bonus of a .mobi site is you don’t have to type in www. ever!
the .mobi guarantees a great viewing experience for ‘your’ viewers, fans, listeners.so instead of them having to pay 4 figure mobile phone bills acessing the net, by providing a .mobi site for them for the princely outlay of approx $8 and free development if required, you save them the hassle.
you could say i’m a fan. i am.
i just feel in the myriad of mad data plans, thousands of handsets and still crazy call charges, this is the one guarantee if you like of a great cheap mobile experience. it is very much needed in my honest opinion.
also oit is something joe bloggs or even john doe (hehe) can do as using site.mobi is so easy. and free. kudos to you anyway, you have a great blog and you seem a cool guy
cheers
Ron

Hi,
you’re absolutely right about mobile blogging trend. I finally found an application I was looking for my N95 phone. According to developers it is able of posting text, photos, sound and videos! Checkout on http://www.telewaving.mobi