Pictured: (l-r)  Lisa Barrett (Graphic Designer), Sian Lenegan (Director), Petra Kravos (Web Developer), Chris Kinsey (Digital Designer)

A Birmingham-based digital design agency has launched a pioneering multi-platform mobile site to help businesses go mobile more quickly, without the cost of developing an app.

Sixth Story have been encouraging companies to use this growing channel more effectively to help them promote their products and services to the growing number of Smartphone users.

Sian Lenegan, Managing Director at Sixth Story, says: "Whilst mobile apps have grown in popularity, most of them are designed for a single platform or operating system; they are costly to develop and require customers to download the app before they can experience a brand.

"I believe that apps will become a thing of the past and that mobile-optimised web design is the future, which is why we're keen to help as many businesses as possible to make the most of this exciting new channel."

It is estimated that 13.9 million people in the UK own a Smartphone and figures suggest that people increasingly see owning a mobile as an essential expense, despite cutting back in other areas. 

"The imminent launch of the iPhone 5 could further bolster Smartphone sales as the previous versions become cheaper and secondhand handsets are offered on sites like eBay," explains Sian. 

"This, coupled with the UK's future plans for 4G plus campaigners vying for mobile broadband, means there will be greater rewards for businesses investing in mobile-optimised websites."

Sixth Story have just completed work on a newly-launched mobile site for eBay UK, at www.ebay-mobilemediacentre.co.uk, which was created as part of eBay's campaign to address the growing potential of m-commerce.

Clare Moorbridge, UK Corporate Communications Manager at eBay, says: "We were really pleased to be able to work with such an impressive small digital company, and Sixth Story were by far the most helpful organisation we spoke to when researching this project.  

"The team worked to a very tight timeline and the final results were spot-on in terms of design and functionality." 

Sian says Sixth Story were thrilled to be working with a household brand and are now looking forward to helping smaller businesses across the West Midlands to go mobile.

"Mobile-optimised sites like these aren't just for the big retail players," says Sian. "Location-centric businesses can benefit from increased foot fall if customers can find companies they're looking for, and with geo-location and Google indexing mobile websites separately, it's a marketing opportunity to take note of."

With recent research figures revealing Birmingham as a 'Top 5 Mobile Shopping Hotspot', ahead of even London, Midlands-based businesses are in a stronger position than ever to capitalise on consumer trends.

Sian says: "We see this as an excellent opportunity for companies to future-proof their businesses by driving m-commerce, and we feel this could have a significant impact not only on the success of brands across the region, but ultimately on the UK economy as a whole."