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Both apps and mobile websites have become increasingly important ways for companies – particularly retailers – to connect with people. However, while there have been good arguments put forward for the benefits of both sides – there has been little cold hard data to really compare how many people are engaging across each channel, nor has there been much analysis of user behaviour within them. So how do mobile apps compare to the mobile web?

New research published by Nielsen is hopefully the beginning of an increase in insight into both apps and the mobile web. The data focuses on the 2011 holiday season in the US and saw that, combined, both apps and mobile websites reached nearly 60% of smartphone users – around 58m people (judging by Edison’s most recent count of the number US people with these devices).

However, looking at apps and mobile websites separately, there is a considerable difference between the penetration of each. During December, mobile websites reached 51% of smartphone users (nearly 50m people) compared to apps which topped out at 28% (around 27m people). This shows mobile websites taking quite a big lead with US shoppers buying Christmas presents, reaching almost twice as many consumers.

Judging by mobile user behaviour in the US, there is clearly more value to be attributed to focusing on mobile web rather than developing an app. After all, a well-designed website that is compatible for web can potentially reach the entire connected smartphone audience, while certain apps are developed with certain devices – such as iPhone or Android – in mind.

For developers such as ourselves, there are a growing array of tools and frameworks helping us design websites for increasingly mobile-orientated web users. Bootstrap is an open source project engineered by Twitter which has evolved to accommodate major browsers across PC, tablets and smartphones. Additionally, Skeleton is a small collection of CSS & JS files that can help us rapidly develop sites that look beautiful at any size, be it a 17″ laptop screen or an iPhone.

For businesses who are looking at campaigns which have to include one or the other, the latest word from Nielsen looks to favour developing a decent mobile website instead of an app. However, further analysis into the data reveals some interesting behavioural trends which we shouldn’t ignore, including that US men are slightly more likely to try mobile apps than women – and those who do use mobile apps spend more time browsing than those using mobile websites. Surely, the battle is not over yet, and if it’s engagement with your brand you really want to push then perhaps a fully-fledged app is still the way to go. But for reach alone, a mobile website is likely to be seen by many more potential consumers.

…And emerging ways to pay online and on mobile

Using the internet to sell products and services is the ultimate goal of many websites we come across each day.  Yet, as an increasing number of businesses and companies move online, emerging technologies are also bringing fresh ways to pay and receive money as well as completely new ways to monetise mobile and web-based content.  While 2010 was dominated by trends such as freemium as used by services like Spotify and Evernote, as we move into 2011 new types of digital currency and payment technologies are appearing and diversifying.  This post aims to define some oft-used but sometimes confusing terms in the new world of money online.

Facebook Credits

At the end of January, social networking supergiant Facebook announced that they will be requiring all social game developers to process payments via their own in-site payment system: Facebook Credits.  The virtual currency, which has been in the works since 2009, allows users to purchase credits (currently costing $1 for 10) which can then be spent on items in Facebook games and other apps.  Advertised as being a safer and easier method of payment, it’s hard to see how the idea won’t increasingly appeal to users – and in order to get developers on board, Facebook are offering a host of cool incentives for app makers.

In-game purchases

Monetising mobile apps is often a matter of tough choices as to whether you offer free versions and advanced (often ad-free) versions, or simply charge for one version from the outset.  For mobile games, in-game purchases are increasing in popularity because they offer a portion of what is paid for, i.e. the first few levels of a game, and give users the opportunity to pay for later levels or other unlockable content.  This also ensures that such games have more chance of being discovered by potential gamers – an important factor for developers as the market becomes increasingly crowded.

Mobile payments, e-wallets and Square

Mobile payments are likely to be a big deal in 2011.  The idea is quite simple, why not leave our credit cards at home and use our 3G enabled smartphones to transfer payments for us?  After all, we all have online bank accounts?  Now, a number of companies are planning on making our wallets redundant.  For paying for items, Visa have announced that they will be rolling out their PayWave system by the end of the year.  On the flipside, Square (part founded by Twitter’s Jack Dorsey) is a smartphone service which allows others to pay you via your mobile.  Less than 18 months after launch, Square are already processing $1m payments a day.  They have also recently made the potentially groundbreaking move to stop charging $0.15 per transaction for merchants, making the new technology (a simple dongle and downloadable app) even more appealing to small businesses, freelancers and workers on the go.

Micro-donations

Micropayments has been a popular term online in reference to simple small payment transactions for a few years now.  Today, however, micro-donations are offering a new way for bloggers and start-ups to monetise content without requesting an outright payment or subscription fee, and by avoiding the sometimes off-putting ‘donate’ method.  New service, Flattr, is a good example which gives web-content providers (i.e. bloggers, journalists, developers) a button for the posts they create (similar to Facebook ‘Like’ buttons), Flattr users who view the site decide how much money to put into their account monthly – and this amount is then shared between the sites that have been ‘liked’ or ‘flattr’d’ at the end of each month.

It is certainly an exciting time for developers to approach charging for web and mobile content, and we are sure to see some intriguing changes over the coming year.  Social media is certainly having a big effect, as well as emerging mobile technologies.  We, here at GoTripod, are curious to see what takes off.

iPhone or iPad, Android or Windows Phone 7?  Why it’s important to have an app development strategy

Smartphone applications are a big part of our work here at Go Tripod.  We enjoy working with fresh ideas and knowing that we are contributing to one of the most current, fast advancing and exciting industries out there.  However, we also know how confusing the app market can be for those eager to branch out into this area for the first time – especially as new products and operating systems are launched, and the web becomes full of contradictory opinions on where best to focus your efforts.

Consequently, we believe it is important to outline an app development strategy at the outset of your project – and there are a number of key considerations which must be included:

Consider your goal first

Your goal, or at least an idea of what you want to achieve, should be established early – even before you start thinking of what kind of app to put into development.  With the amount of buzz around apps and new technologies, it is understandable that many businesses might see their competitors launching an iPhone app, decide to do so themselves, and then are faced with having to develop an idea which will fit into an iPhone app shaped hole.

Check out what the competition is doing, then ask yourself what you want out of an app.  This way you are more likely to work out the correct means of hitting that target – whether it’s reaching lots of people or making an app which is more complex/useful/important than any other on the market.

Consider your current audience and where they are

Are you creating this app for the target audience you already have, or are you using the app to reach a different demographic?  This is an important consideration, as any mobile ad specialist will tell you that certain smartphones appeal to certain users – just try and think of a typical Blackberry fan or iPhone user.  Understanding the audience you already have and the handsets they use will likely be a big factor in deciding what type of app to develop.

It is also important to think about where your prospective audience are.  Recent AdMob data highlights country by country differences in popularity of devices and subsequent market share of iPhone, Android and others.  In May this year, Apple’s iOS dominated the UK market with 59% share while Android was the second largest with 26% share – but judging by the US market, things are changing very quickly.

Consider the entire app market

As we know, the app market is advancing and diversifying almost before our eyes – and it goes without saying that we may all be surprised by what platforms take off and just how far-reaching/usable/fashionable each might be a month or two down the line.

The latest 2010 Q3 data from Canalys shows intriguing trends in the US market where the Android operating system has overtaken Apple’s iOS with 44% of smartphones using Android compared to 26% Apple.

This growth has no doubt been helped by Android OS being available on a number of handsets compared to Apple’s only iPhone.  And though it is still fair to say developing an Apple-centric app may be naturally high-profile and more likely to reach a market of tech-savvy super-fans, some analysts such as those at Taptu are estimating that iPhone-only apps may exclude 90% of smartphone users by the end of the year.

With this in mind, the recently launched Windows Phone 7 will also be one to watch by those looking to develop an app over the next year, as Microsoft is set to invest an incredible $500 million in TV advertising for the product alone and claims to have 13,000 registered app developers already.

Only by keeping an eye on projected user trends and emerging technologies (including handsets and tablets such as iPad) and including this research into your app development strategy, can you be certain that your app is most suitable for the local and global market it is launched into – as well as ensuring the users who want it can get it, and that the app itself works as it should.