Bank uses .mobi in promotion of mobile online services.
Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) now has 1 million mobile users, reports Mobile Marketer. Bank of America has 25 million users of its online services, but the generational divide is promising: two-thirds of its mobile banking users are under 35.
On the company’s web site, users are encouraged to type .mobi into their browsers to access the mobile site. This is great news for .mobi, as many companies have promoted dotcom for their mobile sites. However, Bank of America isn’t actually using .mobi. BofA.mobi merely forwards to bankofamerica.com/mobile. Furthermore, typing BofA.com into your mobile phone also forwards to this address.
Nevertheless, it’s encouraging to see broad adoption of a company’s mobile platform for secure access rather than just content. Almost all Bank of America mobile customers use the mobile banking service to see account balances and eight in 10 review transactions, reports Mobile Marketer. Four in 10 use their mobile phones to move money or pay bills. The service is most popular in large metropolitan areas.
[Thanks to Will for the tip.]
David J Castello says
Owen Frager made a very interesting observation about this on his blog:
“Like most big corporations cited by MOBI zealots as proof of concept, Bank of America isn’t actually using .mobi. BofA.mobi merely forwards to bankofamerica.com/mobile. Furthermore, typing BofA.com into your mobile phone also forwards to this address.”
Cor Blimey says
Is Owen Frager slightly brain dead? The ad says BOFA.mobi on your cell or smart phone! NOT BOFA.com or BankofAmerica.com/mobile! Cor blimey.
Marc says
Owen Frager loses more credibility every day. It’s find to attempt to make a point off of your own openion. But, if you continue to make it part of your life it shows your ignorance and how affraid you are of .mobi. If you don’t believe in it then stop talking about and spend your time discussing what you do believe in.
Steve M says
Yes … be afraid of .mobi everyone … be very, very afraid. 😉
DR. DOMAIN says
VERY happy to hear this.Hope it sticks…or starts something. ‘Cause I’m top heavy with ’em.
.pH says
David,
Here’s the beautiful part of Owen’s intellect…it is flawed.
I know, that may be hard for you and especially Owen to accept, but if he actually used a phone instead of the PC to look at some of these sites that he has no use for, he might actually see there is a difference and that (gulp!) he is wrong again.
Thank god he does not control consumer behavior but only thinks he does.
.pH says
And to Will and Andrew, the two geniuses taking credit for this reporting, I was not aware that research and facts were no longer crucial in presenting information.
But that is the beautiful part of blogging. No one has to offer on shred of accuracy.
Is Jayson Blair still teaching creative writing classes at Wal-Mart on Monday nights?
David J Castello says
-pH
Believe me, nothing is “hard for me to accept” in this business. I learned early on that to truly succeed in the domain name business the first thing one needs to learn is that your opinion ultimately means very little.
The public always has the final say.
.pH says
Speaking of opinions, David, I believe you are the dudes who “hype” geos, is that correct?
Of course, we know that comes from another very reliable “opinion” source.
Geez, as if “paper or plastic?” wasn’t enough.
Andrew says
@.pH – The difference is that David makes money hand over fist with his geo’s…so I don’t know that he’s hyping anything 🙂
Andrew says
@.pH – OK, I’ll bite:
“I was not aware that research and facts were no longer crucial in presenting information.”
Please point out one part of this article that is factually incorrect.
🙂
.ph says
Andrew…
ummm, that was in gest? I am very big into geo in all extensions.
But I understand Sahar does not like them, calls them “hype”. So for that “factual assertion, you would actually have to visit Sahar’s blob.
http://www.conceptualist.com/2008/04/08/are-geo-domains-overrated/
Are Geo Domains Overrated?
http://www.conceptualist.com/2008/05/29/the-other-side-of-geo/
The Other Side Of Geo
“In my opinion, observing from the sidelines, majority of the people who promote Geo domains are doing so not because Geo is doing great but because they are invested in Geo.”
“Note that in reality, today, Geo is a poor performer.”
Well, if this was written May 29th, 2004 I might buy these assumptions.
This coming from someone who thinks the sale and promotion of .mobi is hype, geo is hype, but his own projects and new model of auction is not hype.
There is a reason (this ASSessment being one of them) that I am purposely reading the blogs and domain type reporting less and less and less every day.
First and foremost, I am a consumer. Everyone is trying to sell me something. What in the hell are these types of journalism selling? I pity everyone that has to rely on this type of reporting to make a decision.
But, that’s just me. I like going to the source of the information.
And regarding “factual”, every thing mentioned is “factual” as stated according to those that stated it. Because it is their idea of “facts” when they put it in print.
But rather than quoting Owen as a “reliable source”, I always consider the source. To wit…gee, reporting on a Bank of America Statement would have been great IF Bank of America atually said those things in their statement.
Seems like the press release I read contains:
http://newsroom.bankofamerica.com/index.php?s=press_releases&item=8186
Mobile Banking Adoption
Nationwide, the innovative service is being widely adopted across the Bank of America footprint. Metro-locales that skew toward high mobile phone usage rank amongst the fastest adopters of Bank of America’s mobile banking service:
1. Los Angeles, CA
2. Atlanta, GA
3. Washington DC
4. Dallas, TX
5. New York, NY
6. Houston, TX
7. Phoenix, AZ
8. Boston, MA
9. Miami, FL
10. Anaheim, CA
Over 4 million Mobile Banking Customer Sessions Monthly
Almost all customers use Bank of America’s Mobile Banking service to view account balances, eight in ten review transactions, while four in ten use their handhelds to transfer funds or pay bills. Frequency of use by active users continues to increase monthly, with over 4 million account sessions in May 2008 alone.
Notably, two-thirds of Bank of America’s mobile bankers are under 35 years old and four out of five are under 45 years old, as Gen Y and X consumers who have embraced mobile web technology are similarly driving mobile banking usage.
Easy to Get Started
The Web-based service is accessible via most phones that have mobile Internet access and requires no downloading of software. To access Mobile Banking, customers simply go to http://www.bofa.mobi/ on their phone’s web browser and enter their Online Banking ID and passcode to access their accounts. Apple iPhone, RIM Blackberry and Microsoft Windows Mobile devices are the most popular ones used by mobile banking customers.
—————————-
Quite a good study on their large “geo” markets, demographics, and usage.
So this Domain Name Wire article, site, and magazine seems to have lost quite a bit of credit in my eyes by essentially becoming an Owenesque style of reporting of taking a piece of fact and add in perceptions and opinion to come up with more editorial opinion rather than any real reporting.
It should read “in the opinion of the editor”, “Editor’s Opinion”, or “although I have never actually tried visiting the site on my web enabled mobile device, others are reporting that BofA actually is using .com. And when I view it on my PC that is what I see.”
But that is boring as hell and would never have created anymore than perhaps two responses rather than this lengthy monologue.
All anyone would have to do is actually read a press release. But there is a fundamental flaw in understanding that there is a difference between “reading” and “reading comprehension”.
To report that BofA does not actually use .mobi in their promotion or even on their site is asinine.
But, that is to be expected when one is more for the sensationalism rather than the facts because sometimes the facts can be boring and damn downright disappointing if those facts are not something you want to hear, read, or preach.
I am thankful that smart phones are smarter than the people using them. So if someone want to tell me about auto detect, if you are on a PC, guess what the browser “auto detects” you are using? Therefore, guess which site your PC will view?
Andrew says
@ .ph – you say “To report that BofA does not actually use .mobi in their promotion or even on their site is asinine.”
Re-read my article. I never said BofA was not promoting .mobi. In fact, I show a picture of BofA promoting .mobi and write:
“On the company’s web site, users are encouraged to type .mobi into their browsers to access the mobile site. This is great news for .mobi”
I then point out, factually, that:
“Bank of America isn’t actually using .mobi. BofA.mobi merely forwards to bankofamerica.com/mobile. Furthermore, typing BofA.com into your mobile phone also forwards to this address.”
I typed it directly into my Treo to see what would happen, and this is what happens.
If you just want people to regurgitate press releases, that’s easy to find…
.ph says
Andrew,
Perhaps it is a matter of interpretation.
But when I read:
“However, Bank of America isn’t actually using .mobi. BofA.mobi merely forwards to bankofamerica.com/mobile. Furthermore, typing BofA.com into your mobile phone also forwards to this address.”
…your readers have to wonder is not Bank of America and BofA the one in the same entity?
Bank of America IS using .mobi as BofA.mobi.
BofA.mobi DOES NOT merely forward to bankofamerica.com/mobile.
Great, on your TREO that is what you see. That is NOT what I see on the Helio Ocean. I put in BofA.mobi and guess what I get?
Clarification after the fact is great, if you and I are the only two having this discussion.
I am not after regurgitation of press releases. But I don’t want to see or read parts and pieces of fact mixed in with parts and pieces of opinion or personal experience and presented as fact.
So, “Furthermore, typing BofA.com into your mobile phone also forwards to this address.”…
is in truth YOUR mobile phone. Not mine. And not a great many of the readers here I would suspect. Nor do they really care.
Sorry, but this is the primary issue I have. You imply that BofA.mobi does not actually exist or function or work and it is all a redirect.
There is so much to that press release. I know you don’t want to regurgitate all the facts and numbers. But the release in general outlines the audience, the market, the usage, the efficacy of their campaign.
To me it is so much more than a press release. It is a marketing study and strategy for anyone looking to not only create a mobile presence but an internet based enterprise as well.
And more than 4 million BofA.mobi users/uses in one month alone? Staggering.
I just don’t want to read something that is presented as being misleading.
Ditch the TREO. 🙂
Andrew says
I just tried BofA.mobi on three different browsers and they all forward to bankofamerica.mobi.
.ph says
…they all forward to bankofamerica.mobi.”
Did you mean .com?
PC Browser or TREO?
I can post images of the differences.
Andrew says
sorry, I meant https://www.bankofamerica.com/mobile/
Tried it on two PC browsers and the Treo. Tried it on the blackberry too but the address bar isn’t displayed.
Andrew says
@ .pH –
Got a chuckle reading an article this morning. Apparently Helio is being shut down. So I’m glad I’m not ditching my Treo 🙂
.pH says
@ Andrew…
“Apparently Helio is being shut down.”
Again, I would hate to have to regurgitate a press release to you.
There is no “shutting down”. There is a buyout, a merger, whatever you want to call it. The Helio brand will cease but the devices and the technology will belong to Virgin Mobile.
Sprint is the carrier and I am still very satisfied with Sprint and the device, known as the Helio Ocean. And this also explains the delay in the release of the Ocean II.
Now, if Sprint changes over to Virgin Mobile, then I am not sure of the quality of service. I understand VM is very good and so is Sprint.
Again, poor choice of words “shutting down” as if to imply my service had been turned off.
Did Time Warner “shut down” when they merged with AOL? Did You Tube “shut down” when the were purchased by Google?
“Q: What does this mean for current HELIO members? Can I still use my HELIO device, while keeping my HELIO service plan and number?
A: Current service plans will continue without interruption – it will be business as usual. HELIO members are at the center of this transaction and we’ll continue to bring them the innovative mobile services they’ve come to expect.”
http://www.helio.com/page?p=virgin&
http://virginmobileusa.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=163
Again, I refer you back to Post #7.
Andrew says
Just having fun, .ph. Looks like they wanted to sell 3M of them and sold less than 200k or so. Oh well, the commercials were cool.
.pH says
Andrew,
You won’t run me off. I like the site too much.
Besides, who else is going to keep you on your toes?
🙂
owen frager says
I wasn’t giving opinion, just fact what happens when you type in bofa.mobi. This is reflected in the mapping if you care to trace it from domain tools, and also in the traffic stats from Alexa.
It’s good they are promoting it because it personifies the brand and application. The other bankofamerica/mobile domains are much longer and difficult to type on a small device.
They also advertise bankamerica/mobilebanking; bankofamerica/anywherebanking etc….
Fact is that the application that makes all this possible is from mFoundry a company B&A invested in. The services and capabilities have nothing to do with the dotMOBI address making them possible.
Once someone enrolls in the program going once to bofa.mobi, they can download a shortcut icon to the dock of their device, and in the future there is no url address entry, simple touch the icon and mFoundry opens as a web application. Included will be ways to speed pay at check out and a variety of interactions with your account that have nothing to do with a site called bofa.mobi.
I think mobi has an untapped future as a brand for use in promotions like this. As the name extension for any mobile device or application or home delivery services (like a franchised flower or pizza brand) there is tremendous potential. With 10 million mobile apps downloaded from Apple last weekend, there are surely millions of widgets/icons crying out for a mobi name that will describe not how you get there, but what is does for you.
The problem with investors citing these press releases as proof that mobi is needed to deliver a mobile experience or people will type them everyday so yours will become more valuable as user behavior changes is what is flawed.
It would be like saying millions of people download music on mobile from iTunes so I can start a tunes domain and they will buy from me. No one has ever gone to itunes.com to buy their music- the music comes to them via applications and relationships. This is the new “direct navigation” and on mobile, where time and attention is shorter, people will not surf like a PC (they still have that to use), but will go to direct relationships (with credentials in place) to get stuff done without hassle.