The Shortcomings of Mobile Apps

Brought to you by Nicole Amodeo

Now that the novelty of iPhone applications has worn off a bit, I've been evaluating which apps are useful and which are just sapping resources from my device. It reminds me of the early days of the web, where users would download intrusive executables like the animated purple gorilla that would be your "buddy" and help explore the internet. Today, I wouldn't dare litter my computer's desktop with apps -- I can efficiently bookmark sites and interact with server-side widgets and games in my browser. On my iPhone, though, I am constantly deciding which icons need to be purged to minimize the clutter on the screen, and which can stay because they are actually fantastic utilities.

Real estate on the handset is valuable property
Of course, there are many stakeholders in the mobile application experience beyond me and the mini koi pond on my iPhone. Publishers, app developers, and marketers are competing over this user-owned and initiated space. The icon-led mobile interface and required installation strengthens the publisher's offering, since it impedes switching between competitors. This is great for top-of-mind publishers whose app falls on a list of the top 25 most-downloaded apps, but as more are developed, it becomes harder for No. 26 to break through and be organically adopted by users.

Since Apple's AppStore introduced the populace to this method of mobile media consumption, a growing number of applications (more than 15,000, with 500 million downloaded to date) are at the forefront of a user's consideration. This, along with the opportunity for publishers to own a controlled, branded environment on the device, has led to an increasing number of sites selling app sponsorships, with networks monetizing and aggregating inventory within.

With this said, the current paradigm -- media consumption via installed applications -- seems to favor publishers. Advertisers are now exploring applications as a media channel, but they must be mindful of the medium's limitations as it becomes part of a well-developed mobile strategy. In the short-term, focusing mobile campaigns on a well-optimized experience through a mobile browser can mitigate many of these limitations. Besides tidying up the iPhone screen, smarter browsers would also best serve users in the long-term. I have been assessing both delivery mechanisms, particularly from a mobile media perspective, to enhance user experience and advertisers' efficacy.

Media consumption via installed applications can be inconvenient for users
With all stakeholders in mind, there are drawbacks to conditioning users to engage with content via installed applications and an icon-led experience. The launch of the Apple AppStore undisputedly enhanced the mobile experience. Applications are currently the best way to utilize advanced handset features such as the GPS and access to contact info. However, the disadvantages include installation time, routine updates, icon space on the screen, required storage space on the hard drive, and sometimes a Wi-Fi or computer connection to download.

All of this assumes that the user is tech-savvy enough to participate. According to a recent consumer study by Azuki Systems, 80 percent of respondents wished it were easier to access rich media on their mobile phones, and 69 percent listed the long time to download and/or play media among their top three barriers for accessing rich media. Beyond the iPhone, applications can be incompatible with devices and operating systems, and downloads can be blocked by carriers. Carriers and manufacturers also have control of the available titles (through a portal such as the AppStore), which confines users to limited publisher options. In these ways, media consumption via installed apps is inconvenient for the consumer.

Media consumption via installed applications creates obstacles for advertisers
Installed apps also present drawbacks for advertisers. The required download and installation creates a natural barrier that can inhibit participation and limit reach. An app must be supported by a good idea, routine updates, and a solid reason for a user to keep it downloaded onto a handset where icons are competing for valuable screen real estate. A virtual koi pond may be cute, but how useful is it compared to the utility of a voice-dialer? Negative customer reviews for Bank of America's mobile banking application further support this point. Customers are clearly disappointed that the app is only a shell for the bank's mobile site, and it provides no significant benefit (i.e., enhanced banking features or a special interface) over accessing through a browser.

Many developers, publishers, and brands are competing for placement within the AppStore's Top 25 and are utilizing iPhone-targeted mobile media to promote their applications and gain mindshare. As downloads ramp up and accountable numbers are accessed, many publishers are still selling media placements within apps on a sponsorship basis, with impression levels that aren't guaranteed. Pandora and Weatherbug have grown large enough and have strong enough grasps on their application inventory avails to sell banners on a CPM basis. Networks such as JumpTap and Admob are both offering aggregated in-app inventory on a scalable level. I look forward to seeing more of this in the future to utilize as a viable mobile media channel.

However, until advertising within applications becomes more prevalent, users will expect an ad-free environment when they download and install. Advertisers are thus put in a precarious position, as it is important not to irritate users with unwelcome or intrusive ads. Minimizing drop-off and ensuring a good user experience are paramount as mobile gains momentum as a media channel, so we must continue to consider these limitations and explore all delivery options for our brands.

Media delivery via mobile browsers can mitigate these issues
A well-optimized mobile web experience can circumvent many obstacles of deployment via installed applications for users and advertisers. First and foremost, there is no need for downloading and installation, which lower the barriers of entry and minimize drop-offs. It is also safe to say that the average consumer knows how to use a mobile browser, and because ads within a browser environment are expected, there is less of a chance that ads will disrupt a visitor's experience.

Organized bookmarking minimizes icon clutter on the screen. A browser environment facilitates switching between publishers, and there is also a greater freedom of choice without as many manufacturer or carrier limitations. Delivery via a mobile browser through a centralized server facilitates optimization and ensures compatibility with all handsets, carriers, and operating systems, which moves mobile beyond the iPhone experience. For advertisers, this enables advanced targeting, standardized ad-serving, tracking, and scalable reach through mobile media placements. Delivery through a browser lessens the limitations imposed by application installation and the icon-led experience. However, we must not ignore the current advantages of the app experience and the emergence of the iPhone as a mobile media channel.

The current mobile browser has its shortcomings as well, but what does the future hold?
Like Safari on the iPhone, mobile browsers available to consumers today cannot tap into the more sophisticated features of the device, such as the accelerometer or GPS. This is a major weakness of the browser when compared to applications. The current user experience through the mobile internet isn't nearly as customizable, rich or fluid as the traditional web. However, mobile may be in a "purple gorilla" period, where applications are novel and take advantage of device features that our browsers can't... yet.

Emerging technologies such as Flash-lite and Android/Chrome promise an experience more like a traditional online environment, without the drawbacks of installation. If mobile usage mirrors online, are we looking at a future where the user can take advantage of efficient bookmarking, seamless updates, and instant access to advanced handset functionalities within the browser? Will advertisers be able to amass enough reach through mobile ads to efficiently target an audience through standardized (and third-party tracked) ad units, while still being able to utilize the GPS feature on an iPhone through the Safari browser?

Despite what the future holds for browsers and applications, a well-optimized site is still the cornerstone of a mobile program, functioning as the central -- and fully-trackable -- hub for branded content such as videos, ringtones, retail locators, and even application downloads.

An application component can certainly complement a mobile program, but all mobile touchpoints and technologies must be carefully evaluated to ensure fully-developed strategies that meet the key objectives of a brand. We should judiciously test applications and media placements within, but conditioning users to engage with the mobile web to enhance both their experience and advertisers' efficacy will continue moving the medium forward.

In the meantime, I think I need to be more selective about what I really "need" on my iPhone. Perhaps the mini koi pond can go, but the virtual cowbell stays.

Nicole Amodeo is vice president of media, the Hyperfactory.