Apps dominate mobile device usage over the mobile web

Firstly, let me tell you that I’m not dissing the mobile web here. This isn’t new information, there is good reason for the stats to be the way they are. I just want to explain the reasons behind the data and help you make an educated decision on what platforms to put yourself on.

Flurry Analytics have released information about the usage of apps versus mobile web usage in the US. The data shows app usage is on the increase – and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Okay, let’s break the data down a little bit more. Of the 86% of app usage, gaming takes up 32% and Facebook is another 17%. Just goes to show the size of Facebook…

So why the recent increase? It’s simple, more and more online stores and social media site are building mobile apps. The mobile app experience is far more superior to that of the mobile web.

Don’t go rushing out and building an app for your business just yet though. If you have an online store that has a lot of return traffic (that is you sell products such as clothing where customers often sign-up and purchase good repeatably) then get on it. If you however tend to sell on a more one-off basis, stick to a responsive website.

The key is, if your website is more for research and once-off traffic (usually because you sell a service and use it for lead generation) you will see no benefit from building a mobile app. Make sure it’s mobile ready, but apps are more for repeat use rather than once off.

Other scenarios where you may want a mobile app:

• Promotional apps (games and entertainment style apps)
• Resource/utility apps (to help inform customers with how-to’s or product guides)