WebProNews

Utility more important than ringtones

Greater usage of the mobile web by consumers in the US and the UK began manifesting a shift in what people want from their cellphones. Hint: it isn't more ringtones.

Progression towards a more mobile web-using society appears inevitable. A multitude of devices, from the iPhone on down the line, offer web access through increasingly capable and sophisticated browsers like the Opera Mini.

The broader capabilities lead to the usual demand for more ways to use them. A study by .mobi registrar dotMobi and ad agency AKQA found greater demand for useful, practical content on phones.

As consumers start hanging up on ringtones, they want to get more done when the mobile device is their lifeline to the Internet. Banks and travel sites should take note, as the study found people want their banking and travel planning optimized for the small screen.

Of its respondents, dotMobi said about 90 percent want to learn more about the mobile web than what they know today. This presents an opportunity for brands to get in front of consumers and bring them to mobile-optimized properties, and the brand reinforcement opportunities available there.

Banking and travel certainly have their appeals when it comes to utility on the mobile device. If and when a secure and effective payment structure emerges for mobile devices, one that businesses embrace, the usefulness of mobile phone as buying mechanism will make brand campaigns even more essential.