Mobile solution across Wi-Fi networks is a territory that has yet to be explored from the perspectives of consumer experience, usage and revenue potential. There are several challenges that will need to be addressed as the right mobile strategies evolve that cater to the needs of all stakeholders – is there a mobile portal on the horizon? Here’s what we know thus far;
- Consumers are mostly interested in their favorable apps, social sites, weather, local events and deals, for the most part
- Device types are proliferating but also offer consistent pointers to consumer preferences (read iPhone type of smart devices and tablets)
- Advertisers are not sure of relevant pages for high-value ads
- Wi-Fi providers want a piece of the revenue (advertising & search) pie, however small that may be, but they also see mobile Wi-Fi as a marketing and branding channel
- Technology community is faced with creating an experience that caters to all these groups and still be scalable for relevance and locations (zip codes or other)
- And, the winner between downloadable apps and web based applications is yet to be decided
The solution probably lies in simplicity:
- Consumers want access so they can do whatever it is that they do on the web
- Local content and promotions appear to be the most viable long-term revenue drivers
- Branding and in-store coupons present another monetization channel to the service provider(s)
Signing in to mobile Wi-Fi internet during your next restaurant stop or hotel stay should not be that “boring.”
