Why Mobile Websites Are Better than Mobile Applications, Part 1

By Jason Munson (@JasonMunson) Apr 7, 2010

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If you’re running a major brand and you aren’t in the mobile space yet — you should know by now that you’ll need to take the plunge in 2010 or risk being left behind by your competitors. Mobile is here and is fast becoming one of the dominant ways users consume content and make purchases.

This is the first in a two-part series on why mobile websites are the correct first step for brands that are just establishing a mobile presence.

Why Mobile is Relevant

Those of us following the mobile landscape and Web have heard about mobile being “real” for about 5 years now (or more). So, what has finally changed to make mobile a core pillar of online strategy roadmaps this year?

The primary drivers for mobile’s new relevance to users are the removal of two formerly significant adoption barriers: device usability and device accessibility (based on price point).

Device Usability

Thanks to the folks at Apple, the iPhone redefined the approach to mobile device user interaction — this may happen once again with the iPad.

We are no longer expected to click-through text fields with an awkward trackball and click number “2” three times to type the letter “c”. Even if you had a windows mobile or palm smart phone — the browsing experience was still clumsy, even for early adopters.

The iPhone, and a myriad of fast followers, have solved this problem; browsing on the new touch-screen smart phones and smart devices is a completely new experience that even novice users quickly adopt.

Device Accessibility

We’ve seen all mobile phone price points drop significantly. Vodafone recently released the cheapest phone in the world — the Vodafone 150 — which retails for US$ 15 (without carrier subsidies) and is aimed at connecting users in developing markets.

Along the same trend, mobile device makers have released a myriad of new touch screen smart phones aimed at picking-up the market share Apple left on the table by marrying to AT&T. New manufacturers are inserting themselves in a market previously dominated by few firms, and consumers are reaping the benefits of the rich variety of choices now available in the market for both high-end and mainstream consumers.

Assuming you agree that the removal of entry barriers is what finally made mobile relevant to mainstream users, then be sure to carry that knowledge forward and bake it into your mobile strategy and product release roadmap. Don’t forget why mobile has become important and apply that by starting with a mobile website.

(Editor's Note: Make sure you read Part 2: Why Mobile Websites Are Better Than Mobile Apps, Part 2)

Why a Mobile Website Should Be Your First Step

There are many reasons why a mobile website should be the first phase in a multi-phased approach which ultimately includes mobile apps.

Remove Barriers of Entry

By starting with a mobile website you can make sure that the first time someone types in your URL from their mobile device, they are immediately detected as a mobile channel user and redirected to a mobile-optimized experience — or even better to a device-optimized experience.

This approach removes the barriers of entry because it doesn’t force your users to download an application before interacting with your brand AND can still serve a device-optimized experience to your users. This will become more and more important as many mainstream users don’t know what an App store is and don’t want to find out.