.mobi vs .com vs .net

arcada · 5th Nov 2011, 08:55 AM

Hello Everyone,

I'm looking to start building mobile sites. I was wondering does it really make a difference on using .mobi vs .com vs .net for ranking?

Any info on this would be great....

Thank you,

lirikh · 5th Nov 2011, 12:14 PM

For ranking? No.
For branding? Yes.

Domains are all about branding. For example, you see companyname.com and you assume immediately it's a commercial website that is fully viewable on a desktop computer.

Now you see a .mobi, and you know for sure it is a mobile website and it's going to be fully viewable on your phone.

WillR · 5th Nov 2011, 06:26 PM

Just be aware that there are certain requirements for a .mobi domain name.

1. The homepage must be coded in XHTML-MP (mobile profile)

2. The homepage must NOT use any iframes

3. The homepage must be accessible with the www AND without the www

Jay Moreno · 5th Nov 2011, 09:37 PM

check this out...

mobiForge

some of the content is dated but still relevant for dot mobi domains and even building mobile websites... for non smart phone mobile web development development i try to stick to their best practice guidelines as well as resources listed here:

Mobile Web @ W3C

hth

thedesignguy · 5th Nov 2011, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by WillR

Just be aware that there are certain requirements for a .mobi domain name.

1. The homepage must be coded in XHTML-MP (mobile profile)

2. The homepage must NOT use any iframes

3. The homepage must be accessible with the www AND without the www

Hey Will, I wasn't aware of those restrictions! Where did you hear about them?

arcada · 5th Nov 2011, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by lirikh

For ranking? No.
For branding? Yes.

Domains are all about branding. For example, you see companyname.com and you assume immediately it's a commercial website that is fully viewable on a desktop computer.

Now you see a .mobi, and you know for sure it is a mobile website and it's going to be fully viewable on your phone.

Originally Posted by WillR

Just be aware that there are certain requirements for a .mobi domain name.

1. The homepage must be coded in XHTML-MP (mobile profile)

2. The homepage must NOT use any iframes

3. The homepage must be accessible with the www AND without the www

Interesting I didn't know that. Thank you for the info!

arcada · 5th Nov 2011, 11:15 PM

Originally Posted by lirikh

For ranking? No.
For branding? Yes.

Domains are all about branding. For example, you see companyname.com and you assume immediately it's a commercial website that is fully viewable on a desktop computer.

Now you see a .mobi, and you know for sure it is a mobile website and it's going to be fully viewable on your phone.

I figured that just wasn't sure with .mobile of any special coding was required. Thanks!

arcada · 5th Nov 2011, 11:25 PM

Originally Posted by Jay Moreno

check this out...

mobiForge

some of the content is dated but still relevant for dot mobi domains and even building mobile websites... for non smart phone mobile web development development i try to stick to their best practice guidelines as well as resources listed here:

Mobile Web @ W3C

hth

Thanks for the info... Whats your thoughts on building mobile sites with WP?

WillR · 5th Nov 2011, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by thedesignguy

Hey Will, I wasn't aware of those restrictions! Where did you hear about them?

They are listed all over the place but here is one page you can find the .mobi mandatory requirements:
Setting Up Your .MOBI Website

Some of the mandatory rules include:

No frames should be used in the design of the website.
Visitors to a .mobi site must be able to view a page that is capable of being displayed in their browser. Website owners must use a format that mobile devices support or use an XHTML-Mobile Profile 1.0 or higher.
The .mobi site must work with or without the "www" in the domain name (e.g., www.your-website.mobi and your-website.mobi).

thedesignguy · 5th Nov 2011, 11:37 PM

Originally Posted by WillR

They are listed all over the place but here is one page you can find the .mobi mandatory requirements:
Setting Up Your .MOBI Website

That's really interesting stuff! I wonder how they can enforce those requirements?

Jay Moreno · 5th Nov 2011, 11:57 PM

Originally Posted by arcada

Thanks for the info... Whats your thoughts on building mobile sites with WP?

wp for mobile can be overkill unless you know what you are doing, i feel a lot of the mobile wordpress themes and plugins for mobile are very limited in what you can do in regards to putting together a proper mobile website for business - validation with a lot of these always seem to be an issue

doing an aesthetically pleasing, lightweight and valid wordpress mobile site is not impossible to deploy as i mentioned earlier you just need to know what you are doing

hth

Jay Moreno · 6th Nov 2011, 12:01 AM

Originally Posted by thedesignguy

That's really interesting stuff! I wonder how they can enforce those requirements?

apparently from my understanding they will give you a notice to comply with their guidelines and then if you fail to comply they are apparently within their rights to withdraw the dot mobi domain from the web

i have yet to hear them actual doing this though... for most people developing a valid site that meets strict xhtml mp standards is beyond their reach... if it where the case and they imposed their restrictions you would probably see 90% of all dot mobi domains disappear over night! lol

arcada · 6th Nov 2011, 12:19 AM

Originally Posted by Jay Moreno

apparently from my understanding they will give you a notice to comply with their guidelines and then if you fail to comply they are apparently within their rights to withdraw the dot mobi domain from the web

i have yet to hear them actual doing this though... for most people developing a valid site that meets strict xhtml mp standards is beyond their reach... if it where the case and they imposed their restrictions you would probably see 90% of all dot mobi domains disappear over night! lol

Hey Jay again thank ou for all the info. I will be picking your jump mobi as well.

WillR · 6th Nov 2011, 01:08 AM

Originally Posted by thedesignguy

That's really interesting stuff! I wonder how they can enforce those requirements?

It would probably be a very rare case in which they found someone who did not adhere to these requirements and cancelled their .mobi domain name. Having said that, all 3 of those requirements are important from an end-user point of view so you should be trying to do them all anyway - regardless of whether or not they are required.

It also wouldn't take much for a competitor to go and report your .mobi domain if you weren't adhering to all the rules so it's best to follow them so you can be sure you will never have any problems.

Anang Andriana · 6th Nov 2011, 04:00 AM

for Arcada,

I recommend you for using .com or .net because these are easier to optimize than other.

Anang

eurotunes · 6th Nov 2011, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by WillR

Just be aware that there are certain requirements for a .mobi domain name.

1. The homepage must be coded in XHTML-MP (mobile profile)

2. The homepage must NOT use any iframes

3. The homepage must be accessible with the www AND without the www

I fully agree, although modern smartphones also work well with xhtml-traditional. Many older phones require xhtml-mp though to render properly.

The past years I developed several mobile sites, using both .mobi and .com extensions, but didn't notice any difference in seo results.

Imho Google should do their homework as too many .mobi domains, which aren't working well on mobile devices are listed high in mobile search results

KateSaunders · 6th Nov 2011, 01:13 PM

I'm using XTML5 with .mobi domains and it works beautifully.

eurotunes · 6th Nov 2011, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by KateSaunders

I'm using XTML5 with .mobi domains and it works beautifully.

Does XHTML5 also work fine on older phones? I thought it only supports the latest smartphones.

arcada · 6th Nov 2011, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by Jay Moreno

apparently from my understanding they will give you a notice to comply with their guidelines and then if you fail to comply they are apparently within their rights to withdraw the dot mobi domain from the web

i have yet to hear them actual doing this though... for most people developing a valid site that meets strict xhtml mp standards is beyond their reach... if it where the case and they imposed their restrictions you would probably see 90% of all dot mobi domains disappear over night! lol

Well at least they let you know that one is not compliant. Lol

arcada · 6th Nov 2011, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by Anang Andriana

for Arcada,

I recommend you for using .com or .net because these are easier to optimize than other.

Anang

Anang,

Thank you!

arcada · 6th Nov 2011, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by WillR

It would probably be a very rare case in which they found someone who did not adhere to these requirements and cancelled their .mobi domain name. Having said that, all 3 of those requirements are important from an end-user point of view so you should be trying to do them all anyway - regardless of whether or not they are required.

It also wouldn't take much for a competitor to go and report your .mobi domain if you weren't adhering to all the rules so it's best to follow them so you can be sure you will never have any problems.

I would have to agree, it's better to be safe then sorry, Also, just picked up your WSO and can't wait to dig into it. Will be leaving review! Thanks again!

arcada · 6th Nov 2011, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by eurotunes

I fully agree, although modern smartphones also work well with xhtml-traditional. Many older phones require xhtml-mp though to render properly.

The past years I developed several mobile sites, using both .mobi and .com extensions, but didn't notice any difference in seo results.

Imho Google should do their homework as too many .mobi domains, which aren't working well on mobile devices are listed high in mobile search results

Haha.... I agree!

WillR · 6th Nov 2011, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by KateSaunders

I'm using XTML5 with .mobi domains and it works beautifully.

Originally Posted by eurotunes

Does XHTML5 also work fine on older phones? I thought it only supports the latest smartphones.

Yes, XHTML5 is not yet supported by all devices so you could run into problems with some of the older phones - I'm talking only a year old here. It's still not mainstream enough I don't believe.

arcada · 12th Nov 2011, 11:50 PM

Originally Posted by WillR

Just be aware that there are certain requirements for a .mobi domain name.

1. The homepage must be coded in XHTML-MP (mobile profile)

2. The homepage must NOT use any iframes

3. The homepage must be accessible with the www AND without the www

Hey Will, I picked up you're WSO (My mobile business) and left my review as promised and all I can say is WOW! Would have paid double. Thank you as well as the help.

Antonio

TycoonRob · 14th Nov 2011, 02:09 PM

If you use some of the mobile templates found here on the WF, you won't have any problem complying with the .mobi standards.

ballparkbob · 14th Nov 2011, 05:19 PM

I think that for mobile search, .mobi will eventually get some bonus points over .com. At this time, however, I don't think there is any difference when it comes to Mobile SEO. The more important factor is whether the user comes back to the site often, thus designating a good mobile experience.

PatchesDM · 14th Nov 2011, 05:22 PM

If you want it to be well known that your site was built for the sole purpose of being viewed on a mobile device, then .mobi is the option you want, but if you're looking for higher rankings go with .com.

SarahRose · 19th Nov 2011, 10:52 AM

Hi Will,

Thanks for the information. What happens when a site is built on .mobi and it can only be accessed either with www or without, but not both?

I have personally checked quite a few sites and a .mobi stite that can be accessed the from a desktop with and without www or may not be successfully accessible from a mobile device. How can this be overcomed?

Thanks.

Originally Posted by WillR

They are listed all over the place but here is one page you can find the .mobi mandatory requirements:
Setting Up Your .MOBI Website

WillR · 19th Nov 2011, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by SarahRose

Hi Will,

Thanks for the information. What happens when a site is built on .mobi and it can only be accessed either with www or without, but not both?

I have personally checked quite a few sites and a .mobi stite that can be accessed the from a desktop with and without www or may not be successfully accessible from a mobile device. How can this be overcomed?

Thanks.

Sarah,

As I mentioned above these rules are probably hardly ever enforced.

The .mobi site must work with or without the "www" in the domain name

The idea is that the less someone on a mobile phone has to type, the better the end user experience. That is why they want to encourage people to make their site accessible with or without the www. The easiest way to do this is with a .htaccess redirect that redirects anyone who types in the url without the www to the url with the www.

5th Nov 2011, 08:55 AM	#1
arcada Active Warrior Join Date: 2010 Posts: 38 Thanks: 18 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	.mobi vs .com vs .net Share on: Hello Everyone, I'm looking to start building mobile sites. I was wondering does it really make a difference on using .mobi vs .com vs .net for ranking? Any info on this would be great.... Thank you,

5th Nov 2011, 12:14 PM	#2
lirikh HyperActive Warrior Join Date: 2010 Posts: 314 Thanks: 61 Thanked 12 Times in 11 Posts	Re: .mobi vs .com vs .net Share on: For ranking? No. For branding? Yes. Domains are all about branding. For example, you see companyname.com and you assume immediately it's a commercial website that is fully viewable on a desktop computer. Now you see a .mobi, and you know for sure it is a mobile website and it's going to be fully viewable on your phone.

5th Nov 2011, 06:26 PM	#3
WillR Digital Marketer War Room Member Join Date: 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 12,475 Thanks: 1,984 Thanked 8,187 Times in 4,079 Posts	Re: .mobi vs .com vs .net Share on: Just be aware that there are certain requirements for a .mobi domain name. 1. The homepage must be coded in XHTML-MP (mobile profile) 2. The homepage must NOT use any iframes 3. The homepage must be accessible with the www AND without the www
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5th Nov 2011, 09:37 PM	#4
Jay Moreno Mobile+WP = JumpMobi.com War Room Member Join Date: 2009 Location: San Antonio, Tx Posts: 1,270 Thanks: 301 Thanked 449 Times in 309 Posts	Re: .mobi vs .com vs .net Share on: check this out... mobiForge some of the content is dated but still relevant for dot mobi domains and even building mobile websites... for non smart phone mobile web development development i try to stick to their best practice guidelines as well as resources listed here: Mobile Web @ W3C hth
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6th Nov 2011, 04:00 AM	#15
Anang Andriana Active Warrior Join Date: 2011 Posts: 55 Thanks: 1 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	Re: .mobi vs .com vs .net Share on: for Arcada, I recommend you for using .com or .net because these are easier to optimize than other. Anang

6th Nov 2011, 01:13 PM	#17
KateSaunders Active Warrior War Room Member Join Date: 2009 Posts: 63 Thanks: 74 Thanked 73 Times in 51 Posts	Re: .mobi vs .com vs .net Share on: I'm using XTML5 with .mobi domains and it works beautifully.

14th Nov 2011, 02:09 PM	#25
TycoonRob IMBizCoach - Rob R War Room Member Join Date: 2005 Location: Area 51 Posts: 1,323 Thanks: 305 Thanked 408 Times in 282 Posts Blog Entries: 4	Re: .mobi vs .com vs .net Share on: If you use some of the mobile templates found here on the WF, you won't have any problem complying with the .mobi standards.
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14th Nov 2011, 05:19 PM	#26
ballparkbob Active Warrior Join Date: 2011 Location: Philly Posts: 35 Thanks: 1 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: .mobi vs .com vs .net Share on: I think that for mobile search, .mobi will eventually get some bonus points over .com. At this time, however, I don't think there is any difference when it comes to Mobile SEO. The more important factor is whether the user comes back to the site often, thus designating a good mobile experience.
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14th Nov 2011, 05:22 PM	#27
PatchesDM WGTKAK.COM Join Date: 2011 Location: Harvey's Lake, Pennsylvania Posts: 70 Thanks: 2 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: .mobi vs .com vs .net Share on: If you want it to be well known that your site was built for the sole purpose of being viewed on a mobile device, then .mobi is the option you want, but if you're looking for higher rankings go with .com.
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