Conventional wisdom about mobile apps versus the mobile web has its share of paradoxes. Are apps truly fragmentary when compared with the expanses of the mobile web? Does the level of engagement in mobile apps make investment in mobile sites a fool’s errand?
At an Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) event June 4, a panel of industry players tackled these questions in a Town Hall titled “Future of the App.” The discussion revealed why the argument is not as simple as it may seem.
When the increased engagement is meaningful
Foursquare’s Jon Steinback likened downloading an app to “the 10th date” as opposed to mobile web use, which is more like a first date. Consumers need a little bit of information, look for it, find it and leave on mobile websites. Downloading an app signals a deeper commitment.
“You are asking for people’s personal information, you’re asking to give them push notifications,” Steinback said. “This is like 10th date stuff for most people.”
However, once you have that commitment, you can create deeper experiences, including with ads, which allows marketers to get creative and confront challenges in constructing in-app material
An artificial distinction between app and mobile web?
Joe Laszlo tackled the conventional wisdom that apps and the mobile web are so different after all. Given the browsing capabilities of many apps and app-like functionality of websites, what’s the great distinction?
“Apps are going to behave a little more like the Web in the sense that [consumers] can go from one to the other in a much more seamless way,” Laszlo predicted. “On the other hand, a huge chunk of the 86 percent of time spent on apps is actually spent on Web content that just happens to be in an app and not in a Web browser.”
So drawing such a bold line between apps and mobile web isn’t the most useful exercise. Both tools are useful for most brands, only at different levels.
“Mobile is an access point for consumers and the best brand out there is the one that’s available when your audience needs you.” explained Pete Chelala, VP of Mobile Advertising & Products at Viacom. “If they find me through the Web, great. If the loyal fan wants the app, they have that, too.”