Download - Are magazine apps dead?
Contentment is an award-winning platform for mobile publishing
Contentment is an award-winning platform for mobile publishing
90%
of mobile time spent in apps
50%
of world population owns a mobile
38%
of all web traffic, and rising
• More mobiles than people on the planet • People look at their phones 150x a day • Over 50% of Google searches on mobile
Three ways to mobile
• Mobile web • Apps • Platforms Apple News, Facebook, Snapchat, etc
All have their pros and cons
+ Web is discoverable and shareable + You probably already have a website + You control your own analytics and data
+ People spend little time on web in mobile + Your website gets lost in a sea of tabs + Poor monetisation: adblocking, no built-in
payments or subscriptions + Doesn’t work offline + Might require website redesign and build
Mobile web
+ Preinstalled on phones + Huge audience, good for discovery + Low/zero cost
+ You lose control over audience, monetisation, analytics & functionality – everything!
+ No controlled circulation, & weak monetisation through platform advertising
+ Your brand is disaggregated into a sea of other content
Platforms
Apps come in two flavours
• Replica (PDF) • Responsive (HTML)
Replicas suck on mobile We shall not speak of them again
+ Push notifications keep you connected with your audience
+ Your icon on the home screen + Good monetisation through subs and IAP + Less vulnerable to ad blocking
+ Additional production costs (time & money) + Closed ecosystems (Apple, Windows, Android) + User has to install your app
Apps
App discovery is getting much better
Universal links open directly in app
App content is indexed for search
Deep links open on a specific page
Strengths & weaknesses
Mobile web
Audience relationship MonetisationDiscovery
Mobile native
Platforms AppsNo controlled circulation
+ Focus and clarity of use + Overnight downloads & offline use + Useful added functionality (e.g. save for later,
personalisation, integration with calendar)
+ Icon on the home screen
Why would a consumer want an app?
There are many providers…Technology choice
Evaluation checklist
Functional
Supports third party authentication (for upsells or controlled)
Supports universal links
Supports app indexing for search
Not replicas!
Business fitMatches your skill set (eg. do you have design or developer resources available in-house?)
Integrates with your existing technology (CMS, CRM)
Running costs
Low ongoing production costs: single workflow for all channelsCost of change: cost to change design? Add new features?
Supplier competence
App store reviews & customer endorsements
Support level, including support for OS upgrades
Solid future roadmap
Apps, mobile web, and platforms all have their uses. Apps are strong on building audience relationships, controlled circulation, and monetisation. The best technology fit for you will depend on your content, resources, and existing systems.
Apps are not dead!
