Any entrepreneur considering building a website needs to strongly consider making it mobile friendly. Having a site that is designed to be viewed on a big AND small screen is now more important than ever. With the prevalence of iPhones, Android, and Blackberry phones among most target markets, the likelihood of a potential user visiting via mobile devise is tremendous. The real question is whether or not your site will be up to their standards.

Do you have the mindset you will need to design and keep track of such a site? If not, I would suggest you go over to LimeCuda and read their article about The Mobile Future of Your Business. The concepts, such as having realistic expectations, keeping track of statistics, having goals for mobile based usage, taking the time to gain an accurate understanding of what your users are looking for, are all familiar to the internet entrepreneur. But, that being said, there are some unique ways to implement the ideas.

Focus.com posted a fantastic summery of 12 key characteristics demonstrated by prominent entrepreneurs. Their 6th trait, simplicity, really struck me as something that more budding entrepreneurs need to hear.

The following excerpt has been replicated from the post 12 Characteristics of Successful Internet Entrepreneurs.

The Trait: Simplicity. The Entrepreneurs: Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim. The Company: YouTube.

Engineers have an old saying that drives the field to this day: KISS, or “keep it simple, stupid.” YouTube founders Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim understood this better than most when they created a site that existed to do nothing more than let the average Joe upload his own videos. Without any delusions of grandeur or pretense about changing the world (which it has arguably done anyway), YouTube rose to Internet stardom by simply creating a cool, useful service that people would enjoy using daily. The fact that YouTube links are shared over IM, text, and Facebook all day long is a testament to the value of simplicity in business, and explains why Google snapped up the video sharing site for over $1 billion in 2007.

It is important to not let ideas of grandeur get in the way of solving a problem. It is OK to change your vision for the future once you get there but too often Entrepreneurs don’t stick with one idea long enough to get to that point. There is an old adage that states the good is the enemy of the best. Don’t let that apply to you.

Additionally, the simpler your idea is, the easier it is to explain it to others. The easier it is to explain, the more likely friends are going to tell others. The more people who relate to your idea the easier it is to explain and the more opportunities you will have to pitch your idea.

Find the one need you want to address and stay focused. Don’t let the solution become something more than it needs to be. Also, don’t ever discredit an idea because it sounds simple. Some of the most innovative products –a personal computer for example- have come from very simple beginnings.

Some individuals within the gaming industry have found a new way to make money. Offer your games for free.

The concept of Free to Play, or FTP, games on the internet is gaining momentum. The idea is simple and has been around for a long time in various formats. Open up a version of your game to the casual and more serous gamming public for free. Let them experience the fantastic world of gameplay you spent months to years creating. Then, once they have seen how enjoyable the game is, let them know that they can get an even better experience by paying a few dollars. There are just some items that are too hard to come by or some areas that are off limits that can be accessed via a simple payment of real money.

Finally, once you have gotten your customer base used to the idea of paying real money, something like $2.00 dollars for a thousand Mana, increase the offer. Make harder to find items and charge more. It does not matter that only a few will take the plunge and splurge for that uniquely colored party hat -some will. And, when your user base is in the millions, the ability to generate thousands a month is easily within your grasp. It is no wonder there has been a large shift to catering to the casual gamier.

So you have a new business idea, and you want to take it online – awesome. The first thing you have to do is RESEARCH. Not just researching your target market, the resources you’ll need, or startup costs…. you need to heavily research to find out if anyone is already providing a similar or identical service. If someone is, and chances are there’s AT LEAST one, before launching come up with your differentiating factor. It could be something as simple as price/quality, or perhaps adding a new service to create a unique multi-solution. Competition will be tough, so come ready to stand apart from the pack!

Kickstarter is changing how creative ideas are funded. For example, Pebble raised more than $3,000,000 in just over four days for their E-Paper Watch. The owners of Pebble didn’t have to turn to venture capitalists or dilute their holdings through another offering of shares in order to receive funding; they financed their project with pre-orders.

Although most projects aren’t receiving $3 million on Kickstarter, it’s a great place for entrepreneurs to attain some funding for specific ideas.

Justin Kazmark, Kickstarter’s communications director, offers some advice to entrepreneurs:

Funding must be for a specific project – “Clearly articulate what it is you’re trying to accomplish in a way that inspires people to want to back it.”

Projects must give something in return – “Come up with a compelling rewards structure that brings you closer to your audience. Projects that offer behind-the-scenes access are very compelling, and that’s part of the Kickstarter experience.”

Projects should expand your support base – “Don’t be afraid to get the word out to your friends and family and networks.”

Source: “Pebble Raises $3 Million+ in Four Days, What Kickstarter Means for Entrepreneurs”

If you haven’t seen the infectious video, “Caine’s Arcade,” you need to. Creativity is such an instrumental aspect of entrepreneurship, and Caine, the cardboard arcade owner, is not lacking creativity or the entrepreneurial spirit.