Have apps really passed mobile web? Not really.
I’ve been seeing a lot of play on the newswire from the recent Flurry article on the ongoing native app vs mobile web debate titled “Mobile Apps Put the Web in Their Rear-view Mirror”. Flurry is a great native app analytics provider — but I have to take issue with their data analysis and conclusions.
First — let’s discuss the statistical sample. As described in a well-written post by Jeffrey Gluick at Skyfire there are significant problems with the study from the perspective of sampling. Read Gluick’s article for all the details, but key problems involve which types of users they’re measuring (the data report divides web browsing minutes over non-smart phone users and compares them to pure smart phone users in Flurry’s data set) and failing to accont for apps that are also web browsers such as Skyfire, Opera, Firefox and Dolphin.
But let’s play along and ignore these problems for now. Even with Flurry’s interpretation of the data, we see some interesting trends if we remove games and social networking from the equation:
Time spent on mobile, web vs apps excluding games and social networking
Whoops. If you’re not a game or a social network — better bet on mobile web!
Mobile web is an essential component of any app launch
As the iPhone and Android app market expands, we’re learning more about how search in the app store environments will scale with the rapidly swelling tide of applications (400,000+ at last count). In particular, app discoverability remains a significant problem for brands looking to add the app store as a marketing channel. Darrell Etherington from GigaOM discusses some of the challenges in his blog post, App discovery is a zero-sum game.
How many times will your target audience click "25 more" to get to your app?
Laithwaites Wine Launches Mobile Site
Mobify is proud to announce the launch of Laithwaiteswine.co.uk.
Laithwaites Wine started out in 1969, delivering wine to customers in the back of a van. Over the years it has grown and now delivers wine to over 700,000 customers. The same business model still applies: directly from the vineyard to you table.
Laithwaites' easy to use mobile store
42 years later, Laithwaites Wines announces the next step in their evolution: the launch of their mobile site.
With mobile web browsing set to exceed desktop browsing within 3 years, Laithwaites saw an opportunity to better service its customers by giving them a mobile optimized experience. Customers have the option to browse and buy from Laithewaites’ full wine catalogue, right from the palm of their hand. If you need a little advice or recommendations, mobile users can click-to-call directly from the website, making it incredibly easy to reach a member of Laithwaites’ specially trained UK-based call centre team.
Discover better wines for yourself by visiting www.laithwaiteswine.co.uk on your iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry 6+ device.
Bonobos Launches Mobile Site
Web-based premium men’s apparel brand Bonobos has launched their mobile site with Mobify.
“We were able to see from the underlying metrics of our prior mobile site that we weren’t delivering on the high standards we set for ourselves,” said RIchard Mumby, VP of marketing at Bonobos. “Conversion and bounce rates were significantly worse than our desktop site.
“However, our average order on the prior site was more than 40 percent higher than our desktop site, indicating that there was a strong appetite for Bonobos on the go.”
Famous for their ninja customer service, Bonobos saw that their customers demanding a mobile presence and turned to Mobify to create an amazing mobile web experience.
The new mobile site makes it easy for mobile customers to get what they want, when they want it. The mobile site feels familiar to anyone who has used the desktop site, making it incredibly intuitive to navigate.
Check it out for yourself by visiting www.bonobos.com on your iPhone, Android, or BlackBerry 6+ device.
Read more about the Bonobos launch here.
Bonobos Launches Mobile Site
Partners with Mobify to Boost Mobile Experience
New York, NY & Vancouver, BC (June 9, 2011)– Bonobos, the online men’s apparel brand and e-tailer renowned for their better-fitting clothes and excellent customer experience, today announces the launch of their mobile site. Bonobos partnered with Mobify, the leading provider of mobile commerce solutions, to create a mobile site that extends the Bonobos shopping experience to customers on the go with the best performance benefits of an e-commerce portal.
Bonobos mobile site offers an optimized mobile store without needing to download an app for a direct,
hassle-free experience. By visiting www.bonobos.com on their iPhone or Android device, shoppers are automatically served a mobile version. Because Mobify uses a sophisticated technology that does not use scraping or proxy servers, Bonobos’ mobile users will benefit from quick load times and a seamless update process.
The mobile version offers the same features and functionality as the Bonobos website while providing more convenient service for mobile shoppers. The customized mobile version is designed for easy browsing,
check-out, and click to call. With the exception of occasional mobile-only offers , the mobile site’s content will always be concurrent with the desktop Bonobos site so the latest styles and new releases will be available instantly. Mobile shoppers have complete access to Bonobos’ selection of pants, shorts, suits, shirts and swimwear along with apparel, accessories and footwear from over 40 curated partner brands currently carried at Bonobos.com.
“Our Mobify partnership extends the Bonobos service, convenience and experience to customers regardless of the device they shop with,” said Bonobos CEO and cofounder, Andy Dunn. “As an e-commerce company, providing mobile accessibility has been an anticipated next step that we are thrilled to have reached.”
“Mobile users demand a tailored experience,” said Mobify CEO Igor Faletski. “Through this technology, Bonobos customers have a store in the palm their hand.”
Smartphones already make up more than 28% of the US market . Mobile web browsing is predicted to outstrip desktop browsing by 2015 . With this in mind, Bonobos is providing the best possible mobile experience available today.
About Bonobos: Bonobos is a web-driven premium men’s apparel brand and e-tailer. Launched in 2007 around a better fitting pair of men’s pants, the brand now also sells suits, polos, oxfords, shorts, swim and more. Bonobos is one of the top three apparel brands in the US launched solely over the web. In addition to private label products, Bonobos offers over 40 curated brands’ apparel, accessories and footwear becoming a full men’s closet solution. Bonobos is leading the vertical web revolution, delivering a well-targeted brand promise online: world-class product, an easy shopping experience, and clever and relevant communications. Bonobos is ventured-backed by Accel Partners and Lightspeed Partners and was named “One of America’s Hottest Brands” by Advertising Age. Visit www.Bonobos.com.
About Mobify: Mobify is the leading mobile web platform. Mobify’s innovative technology uses JavaScript and HTML5 to deliver a tactile, secure experience for mobile and tablet users. Since 2007, it has powered global leaders in e-commerce and online publishing. By using Mobify’s mobile web platform, these companies have achieved significant growth in mobile traffic and revenue. Learn more at http://mobify.me.
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[1] In conjunction with the launch on June 9th, Bonobos is offering an exclusive mobile offer of 20% off purchases for the first 200 hundred customers on their first mobile order. Promotional code can be found by visiting www.Bonobos.com on any mobile phone.
[1] http://www.morganstanley.com/institutional/techresearch/pdfs/Internet_Trends_041210.pdf
