At the beginning of spring, I took a trip to Jazz Fest in New Orleans, LA. Like any do-it-yourself travel agent, I compared prices of flights and hotels before booking my trip. I also researched the best place to buy my Jazz Fest tickets as well as maps of the venue and transportation to and from the event. When all was scheduled and booked and it was time to go, I checked in for my flight and headed south for some warm weather and good music. The best part about planning my trip – I was able to do it all from my Smartphone.

Today, with over 70 million people owning and using a Smartphone, there is an app for almost anything, and if there isn’t an app, you can easily hop on a company’s website from your Smartphone and do whatever it is that you need to. For example, there is an app to track your travel, finances and even your health. You can find an app to translate among languages and convert different units of measurement. You can use an app to explore areas using maps and GPS. This list goes on and on and can perform an infinite amount of unique functions like teach you to play the guitar or take panoramic views from where you are standing. Depending on which type of Smartphone you own, you can simply go to the “Market” or “Store” that is already on your phone, and download whatever apps you wish, whether they are practical or outlandish.

Using your Smartphone to book travel is only one of the many ways we are using these phones today. We are also downloading music, pictures, and videos as well as uploading these pictures and videos to our social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. We are shopping and comparing prices of the products we’re looking to buy. We are catching up on the latest news through news sites or just watching live news feed. While boarding the airplane at 6:00 am, I was able to jump on CNN’s website and watch live video of the Royal Wedding. I wouldn’t have been able to do that if I hadn’t had a Smartphone. I also wouldn’t have been able to do that if CNN didn’t have a mobile compatible version of their website.

Companies that don’t have mobile versions of their websites are missing out on huge opportunities to engage with their target market. That is probably the most frustrating thing about surfing the Internet on my Smartphone – not being able to view a company’s website because their site isn’t mobile compatible. When I encounter this issue, most of the time I will visit one of their competitor’s sites to obtain the information I need. I am part of the Gen Y generation and we are used to having access to loads of information right at our fingertips and when it isn’t there, we will just go elsewhere to get it. I am not going to use the phonebook to find your number and contact you. I am not going to wait until I get home to log into my computer to view your full website. This is why it is so critical for companies who sell to consumers or have a store front to have a mobile version of their website.

Companies that have a Smartphone presence are able to reach so many more people, especially those in the Gen X and Y generations who live by their Smartphone. Those companies are in front of the consumer more, generating more business and a bigger reputation. If I can access your site and information from my phone, you are more likely to gain my business and my referral. It may be a little more work to create a mobile version of your website, but it will pay off with over 70 million tethered to their Smartphone 24/7.