At Waterfall we don't build mobile websites or apps, so we don't often engage in this ongoing debate of where brands should focus their attention. However, we do power messaging for firms doing both, and since we live and breathe mobile everyday we of course have an opinion on the matter. And I think it’s time to share.
Let's look back in history at evolution of the PC computing world a bit. Not too long ago people built software which was installed directly on the computer. The software products were sold on discs and installed by IT guys before you got your laptop at work. Or, you installed it yourself on your home PC after you bought it. Then this phenomenon called the web started to gain traction and it looked like all software was moving to web-based. However, more and more of the successful must-have software products were being bundled and pre-installed in PCs, so they still had a chance to get into people's hands. Software makers continued to fight hard for their seat at the table, explaining why their software was a better experience than their new cousins who were completely web-based.
This debate still continues today – and really there isn’t a right or wrong answer. For certain users and programs, software on the PC will be much better than its cousin the web-based version. Some people want the thinnest and lightest laptop possible – with nothing installed. They store everything (pics, documents, etc.) on the web. Others want to have their files local because they want to be able to work on a spreadsheet when they’re on a plane – or they worry about the “cloud” going down and not being able to access their files.
So if you are a software maker debating this issue, you will simply need to use some age old marketing principles and decide what your target segments are and build your business based on that and what ROI you’ll get from it.
The above story may seem incredibly obvious and almost insulting to anyone who's been remotely involved in tech industry in the last 10 years, but I felt compelled to use it as the intro to this post. I go to mobile conferences all the time and hear the debate over and over about which is going to win between mobile apps and the mobile web. I want to get on a soapbox with a megaphone and make everyone listening reflect on the above. Take the story and change a few words and it mimics the evolution of the mobile environments – which should tell you a little something about this debate between apps and mobile web.
Let's put this in real terms and numbers – Facebook has roughly 500M users worldwide. They claim mobile is their future and they are devoting significant resources to building out their offerings. Where did they start? They built killer iPhone and Android apps. But, they also have a mobile website. And surprise, they currently have more than 100 million mobile users, and have found people that use Facebook on their mobile devices are two times more active on Facebook than non-mobile users. Today, the apps are a much better user experience as they have been custom designed for each device to optimize the user experience; whereas the mobile web is a really a one-size fits all build.
So, does anyone believe Facebook is going to continue to treat the 75% of the people in the US who don't have smartphones as second class citizens? Of course not, but they had to start with those mobile environments where they would get the best ROI. And now they have a better idea of what features and functionality are successful in mobile. Next, they will start to invest heavily in the mobile web and get their mobile numbers from 20% of their overall base to something more like 30-50% in no time.
Should I copy and paste the above paragraph and insert YouTube instead of Facebook? Because, I could tell the same story.
So what’s the moral? If you are a brand or agency having this debate let's simplify the discussion. It is pretty straightforward question of ROI. What are your marketing goals? Which are the target segments you want to hit? What will it cost to build/market/maintain one of these new channels? If that budget makes sense for your business, go for it. Just know, the world will evolve around you and you may find your strategy and tactics of today will need to evolve too.
Getting off my soapbox now and getting back to work.
This argument might be fine for social networks, which dominate mobile web traffic and app usage today along with news sites.
For most other industries such as travel and retail, building an app does allow for one advantage; only one platform, or two, etc to focus on, one screen size or one roughly similar class of screen sizes and types...
There is simply NO debate over the fact that the most traffic will be generated by mobile web optimized sites. Searches on mobile, e-mail marketing campaigns already hugely critical to marketing and conversion CANNOT open an app today (although Google will start including apps in Google search results soon). The user journey needs to be easy and follow the path they are already going down...searches, reading emails on mobile devices, etc.
Consider the user experience in reaching your mobile website or app. Many times this question can be solved by looking at what you are trying to accomplish overall. Are we trying to develop a highly interactive game that will keep customers engaged with our brand over time? App. Are we looking to make our locations easier to find at the push of a button? website.
Remember that apps will create a few more steps to get to than a simple mobile website. Most devices will require users to enter a store environment, make a purchase (unless it's free) and download the app to their device before they can interact with it.
The real question is, how much of an effort will your customer make to get to your message?
Last night I posted a commentary on LinkedIn, e-commerce group and e-retailers. You can read the full piece at http://www.services1223.com/forum_and_articles.html but the gist of it is this. If you thought that the Social Media relevance came on us fast, then you are not prepared for what's going on with Mobile. This one is a lightning bolt compared to the turtle waltz of social marketing. Everyone says, only xx% of consumers have a smart phone. Well since the typical phone contract is two years, that means every six months you can add 25% to the number today. There are issues, load times, difficulties with forms, and on and on... but like it or not, this is changing faster than commentators can type. Look around, every day you see the giants rushing new product to market, faster phones, bigger screens. The important fact to accept right now is that there is no choice if you want to survive. Mobile's here and the one choice you don't have is to not prepare for it right now. I'm recommending to my clients at 700 x 350 landing page. It's 1% of the cost of a rebuild and if you're on a handheld, the three or four pages you need are right there. Where are you? How do I contact you? Any business that waits to see which approach is the best will still be in the starting blocks when the going out of business signs are getting pasted into the windows. You can evolve a mobile presence, but you can't put it off. Read my commentary, there is too much that can't be denied. I was with a store owner about my own age the other day, and I pointed to his thirty year old daughter, a couple of feet away, and I asked him, "What's your daughter doing?" He replied, "She's texting on that damn phone again." To which I replied, "That's right Frank, and she's your customer." He looked at me speechlessly, because he knew I was right.