Your Corporate Web Site on Their Handheld

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Think about that for a minute and just how that might look. Uh huh, thought so. Don't feel bad. It's a notion slowly dawning on many business owners right about now.

Actually, you don't even have to use your imagination to picture just how bad it looks. If you don't have a handheld with web access handy right now, here's a quick and dirty way to test how your web site translates to the itty bitty screen. Check out the .mobi mobile emulator on the dotmobi web site.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I tested this web site in the emulator and, hmm, it didn't look so good (unless you like looking at a blank white screen). Someone at INC, smarter than me, is going to have to deal with that.

In case you're wondering what all this .mobi stuff is all about; that is the preferred domain extension for web sites designed specifically for the mobile crowd (and their teeny-tiny screens). If you haven't bought up your web address with the .mobi extension, you can check availability and register it at most of the major hosting companies, like GoDaddy, for example.

Meantime, here's a nice little article with tips on how to design an alternate version of your site.

Renee Oricchio is a technology writer and former supervising news producer for CNN Financial News. She has been covering the computer industry since 1987. @oricchio