Mobile Web vs. Mobile App: Which is right for you?

bizreport.com

As companies try to better monetize the online space, the debate over mobile apps vs. mobile browsers is heating up. Three experts weigh in on the biggest challenges - and solutions - for the mobile space.

by Kristina Knight

Challenge 1: Becoming truly cross-screen

"You can unify marketing messages across devices by using the same creative concepts in both HTML5 creatives in display, as well as mobile-friendly native ads like Facebook," said Rob Lennon, Senior Product Marketing Manager, PaperG. "Investments in real omni-channel services will pay off big in the long term too. Enabling online shopping carts to be shared across devices may seem like a big technical challenge. Doing so, however, can have a noticeable effect on revenues by reducing cart abandonment since you are letting folks continue their shopping experience from one device to the next and leaving items in the cart for future shopping visits."

Challenge 2: Becoming more specific with ad buys

"We definitely see mobile as a key area of expansion in 2016. It has been a hot topic for marketers for a while already, but we think that in 2016 people will cease to treat it as a single channel and start to break it down," said Ted Dhanik, CEO,engage:BDR. "There is so much nuance within the mobile umbrella: mobile display vs mobile video, in-app vs mobile web inventory, smartphone vs tablet placements, etc, and we are working with clients to understand the differences between these niches and how to target based on their specific goals. Too often, campaigns are sort of ham-fisted or clunky as it relates to mobile strategy, so we are using internal data to identify trends and bring light to the space."

Challenge 3: The availability of mobile ad tech solutions

"In 2015 we saw far more mobile web than mobile app usage, particularly for video, about a 4:1 ratio. While mobile web makes up the majority of all available mobile inventory, Mobile app inventory is more valuable to Advertisers though because it supports more accurate audience targeting," said Josh Stivers, Advisor for AerServ. "Mobile video will explode in 2016 and technology will help advertisers overcome device fragmentation challenges. Big DSP's have not wanted to deal with creating mobile ad tech solutions but will now need to staff up in order to monetize their newly acquired buckets of mobile inventory. VPAID standards will rise in 2016 and mobile user targeting will come of age, driving massive cross screen spending and giving brands the 1:1 targeting they have been dreaming of."