Mobile has fast become a medium for a vast array of marketing tools. Banking, shopping, ticketing, the list seems never ending, and now with Smartphone’s increasing in use, the use of mobile applications is making its way up as a mobile innovation. Mobile applications almost seem as important to mobile campaigns as mobisites these days, and whilst the use of both for a marketing campaign may seem appealing, it is highly impractical. So, are mobile applications taking the place of mobisites?
A key part of a mobile marketing campaign is determining the goals and objectives of the campaign, and the best way to achieve these. If a campaign wishes to offer a unique and fresh experience for a user in the campaign then an application may be the way to go. They are designed specifically for the platform on which they operate, and because of this offer a smoother user experience which doesn’t require the use of the internet. Mobisites however, are ideal for shopping and content needs and they offer far better Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Whereas applications are housed in a centralised location such as an app store, mobile sites can use search engines to pick up content from almost anywhere.
As with all mobile marketing campaigns, highlighting the target audience is imperative to its success. Mobisites offer a much more efficient means of reaching a high number of demographics. Although mobile applications possess some impressive features and user experiences, they can only operate on the platform for which they have been created i.e. iPhone, Blackberry, Android. This means that straightaway a large proportion of potential customers have been cut out of the equation. On top of this, even if the application is designed for each of the major devices, it can still potentially exclude vital parts of the target demographic, not to mention being hugely expensive.
Mobisites avoid this discrimination by allowing companies to centre their mobile strategy around a mobisite that can be accessed on any device from iPad, to iPhone, Android, Blackberry and even the most basic of prepaid mobiles. The whole functionality of mobile marketing rests on accessibility and usability across platforms, which already tips favour heavily towards mobisites. Analysts suspect that as the use of the mobile web increases, so too will the emphases on functionality. This means that in only a few years mobile applications may become obsolete for successful mobile campaigns.
The answer then is simple; mobisites possess a much higher level of functionality and practicality for a mobile marketing campaign. So much so that analysts predict that as mobile increases focus on functionality, mobile applications will become increasingly obsolete. Mobisites offer the convenience and reach that both marketers and customers look for in their mobile use and so applications are in no way taking the place of mobisites.
Learn more about mobile marketing. Stop by www.txt2get.com where you can find out all about TXT2GET and what it can do for you.
