Yankee: 31% of phone users visit mobile Web

The mobile Web "has gone mainstream," declared research firm Yankee Group in announcing the results of its latest analysis of the space. The firm said 31 percent of phone-owning consumers now browse the mobile Web at least once a month.

The firm pointed to four mobile Web sites specifically--Google.com, Google.com/m/news, Yahoo.com and MLB.com--as evidence of the maturation of the mobile Web.

"Unlike last year, most of the sites we reviewed adapt their content to many differing feature phones and smartphones. And some companies are also starting to incorporate location-awareness, something other sites should strive to emulate," said Carl Howe, director at Yankee Group and author of the report.

As for wireless carriers, the firm said most don't properly cater to the mobile Web surfer. "Sprint's site is a bit out of date, but it does help mobile users find Sprint stores and call the carrier," the firm said, adding that "other national carrier sites still ignore mobile Web users who aren't their customers, forcing consumers back to their desktops to view their services."

For more:
- see this Yankee release

Related articles:
Report: iPhone accounts for two thirds of all mobile web traffic
Quattro Wireless releases mobile web study