A Simple Guide To Choosing the Right Mobile Medium for Your Business

1. App and/or Mobile Web
A Simple Guide To Choosing the
Right Mobile Medium for Your
Business
Prepared by:
Ariela Freed, Digital Media Director, Maritz Canada

2. Purpose of This Document
As a rapidly increasing number of businesses address the mobile
experience a question that persists is: should we build an
application or a mobile site?
Both have their advantages and challenges. Therefore like any
(digital) media decision it depends on a company’s objectives,
the consumers’ profile or persona and/or the competitive
landscape.
This document aims to review the three mobile solution types
and acts as an aid to the decision-making process.

3. To Start, Some Definitions
1. App aka Downloadable Mobile Application:
Software that is downloaded onto a user’s mobile device which may not require
mobile Internet access to function. The software has the ability to integrate
with core (native) functionality and features of the mobile device, i.e. camera,
calendar, gyroscope etc.
2. Mobile Web:
Sites that are accessed on the internet using a device’s browser. Mobile-friendly
sites are formatted and designed for a user experience on a mobile device.
Sites have limited access to a device’s functionality or features.
3. Hybrids:
HTML5-coded applications that combine the rich user interface of an app and
the cross-platform accessibility of a website.

4. Canadian Smartphone Owners Are Heavy
Users of Mobile Media
Mobile Subscribers Smartphone Subscribers
90%
80%
70%
85%
60%
50%
40%
76%
30% 59%
20% 46% 41% 69%
36% 31%
10%
0%
Used Downloaded Used Browser Used Email Accessed Social
Application Network/Blog
Source: Comscore Mobilens, Total Canada Mobile Smartphone Subscribers, 13+, Dec. 2011

5. People Are Spending More Time on Mobile
Apps Than Web
App vs. Web Consumption Measured in Minutes per Day
Source: Flurry, Comscore, Alexa. Published March 2012

6. Consumers Have Distinct Preferences
For Accessing Information
(note: availability of apps and/or mobile
websites could account for some
Shop 27% 73%
discrepancy)
Search 37% 63%
Entertain 40% 60%
App
Manage 54% 46% Web
Inform 61% 39%
Navigate 65% 35%
Connect 69% 31%
Source: Yahoo “Mobile Modes” Whitepaper, Source August 2011

7. Applications
The Rich User Experience
Benefits Considerations
• Rich and fast graphical experiences • The app offering must vary to
• Possible to create a thick/client accommodate use and form factor
side (instead of thin/server side) • App Store ‘search’ strategy
experience that resides locally on required for discoverability
the device and doesn’t require • Too many features could lead to
internet access overcrowding, confusion and
• Allows you to take advantage of extremely large file sizes
native phone features • When little value is offered, apps
• Features can work offline are used once or twice and never
• Can become a great extension of again
your brand attributes • Developing for each platform and
• Provides various monetization device’s unique features and size
options could become expensive

8. Mobile Web
Cross-Platform Accessibility
Benefits Considerations
• Accessible from virtually all web- • The site offerings vary to
enabled devices accommodate use and form factor
• No need to download anything • Require lighter designs and
• SEO for easy search and discovery functionality
• Slower page load times
• Direct links or QR Codes accessible
from other communication media • Dependent on Internet access
• Content updates and changes are • Unable to leverage most device
faster; don’t require re-submission functions and features
• Monetization of content not yet
• Advent of HTML5 and CSS3
prevalent
improves feature availability and
ability to scale to tablet size • Little storage of data, repeated log
in may be required
• Lots of knowledgeable developers

9. Hybrid Applications
The Best of Both Worlds. With Some Compromise.
Benefits Considerations
• Accessible from many devices • Not universally accessible
through a single build across devices (i.e. BB)
• More efficient build costs • Functionality limits on some
• Able to store some information devices
locally • Light design and/or tradeoffs
• Take advantage of core (native) required to accommodate device
device capabilities types
• Download from app store and live • New app versions requires
on the device home screen downloading and potentially new
builds
• Ability to monetize
downloads/access

10. Some Questions To Assist in Determining
Which Approach to Take
1. Does the experience need to be “found” infrequently or used
regularly?
2. What budget do I have to build mobile experience?
3. What are the traffic and/or revenue targets and how much reach
is required to meet the target?
4. How rich does the design need to be?
5. Does the experience need to integrate with core device
functionality?
6. Is Internet access available?
7. How will the service be funded?
8. What devices do my customers use?

11. Some Resources To Aid Your
App vs. Web vs. Hybrid Decision:
Pew Internet: http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Future-of-
Apps-and-Web/Overview.aspx
Mashable: http://mashable.com/2012/09/12/web-vs-native-
apps/
6Revisions: http://sixrevisions.com/mobile/native-app-vs-mobile-
web-app-comparison/

12. Accelerate Your Mobile Marketing
Efforts
• Take the CMA mobile marketing
assessment quiz and get immediate
feedback:
http://www.the-cma.org/accelerator