Scribd
Upload
62 views

Mobile Web Primed To Take Over Apps

Billions of consumers are accessing content when they want and how they want and it’s not sitting in front of a PC.

Uploaded by

Powering the Mobile Web
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
62 views

Mobile Web Primed To Take Over Apps

Billions of consumers are accessing content when they want and how they want and it’s not sitting in front of a PC.

Uploaded by

Powering the Mobile Web
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

The mobile web is primed to take over apps

Monty Munford - Wapple

Some would say it was less than three years ago in mid-2008 when
Apple launched its app store on iPhone that use of the mobile
internet finally took off. Others would say that it was Apple’s web
browser that changed the game, not the app store, a move that was
quickly challenged by Android.

Either way, there had been many false dawns before, not least the
expectations raised by mobile operators who overplayed the speed
of the mobile internet. But throw in generally reliable 3G and those
same operators offering fixed-rate data plans and the inflection
point was reached long ago.

But what of the future? Will the current ubiquity of the apps model
remain or will the mobile web take over; a mobile web that already
offers exciting interactive branded experiences?

For developers of content, most would say that most basic apps can
be developed with HTML5 and it will be other genres such as games
that will be driver behind apps… and it’s a good bet that Angry Birds
will be around for the rest of time whatever direction things go.

But what of business and how to truly integrate mobile into


companies’ strategy? The current situation would seem to be
untenable. Imagine a High Street shop-front advertising that
company’s business by sending customers to another shop-front to
buy their products? It makes no sense, but that is exactly the state
of play when it comes to companies putting apps on the App Stores.

There certainly is no lack of an engaged audience. A recent report


from On Device Research, a company that conducted a survey of
15,000 people directly ON the mobile internet, threw forward two
interesting demographics.

In the emerging economies of Asia and Africa, countries such as


Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and India have a mobile penetration
rate of more than 50%. People in these territories can’t wait for
fixed-line access and have jumped straight into mobile.

In the US and UK another demographic is using the mobile internet


and it isn’t only the iPhone or BlackBerry-wielding businessman, it is
Everyman/Everywoman because fixed-data rates mean it is cheaper
for him/her than coughing up money to BT and Virgin Media for
fixed broadband access.

So the audience is engaged, what about the experience? The


technology is there, but too many mobile websites are exactly that,
they are websites that work on mobile, but aren’t made-for-mobile
and lead to bad user experience.

Potential customers that have to wait and wait for a 1MB website to
load up still become annoyed even if fixed-rate data costs mean
they don’t have to watch the meter. It doesn’t matter on which
device a customer is accessing the internet, they will go elsewhere
if the experience is unsatisfying.

Nobody is going to stop using the mobile internet and smartphone


customers are not going to become less smart, so companies should
start before it’s too late. Users are accessing content when they
want and how they want (near 400 billion page views in 2010
according to Opera) and it’s not sitting in front of a PC.

For those who are nimble and implement efficient mobile strategies
now will benefit from jumping ahead of the curve. While there is
unlikely to be a backlash against Apple’s superhuman ability to
understand people’s needs, the plethora of platforms means users
will be curious to find out what’s beyond the Apple garden.

Naturally, apps won’t go away and there will still be a market for
them, but with bigger and better mobile browsers on the way and
content that is less static and rigid as it is now, the mobile web will
become more important and eventually dominate.

You might also like