The Results are in! Apps vs. Mobile Websites

We all know the importance and prevalence of mobile in today’s age. With half the people in the world now engaging with content on a mobile device, the question is no longer if people are engaging with mobile, but how are people are engaging with mobile? Well, we’re glad you asked.

According to Nielsen's latest report, over 89% of time spent on mobile devices is in apps. This means out of the 2 hours and 19 minutes people are spending on their mobile devices each day, 2 of those hours are spent engaging with apps.

Not only are people spending more time using apps, but they are spending more time in apps per session than mobile websites. Here’s what Adobe found:

• Smartphone users spend almost 3 times as long in mobile app sessions as they do on mobile website sessions

• Tablet users spend 4 times as long in mobile app sessions as they do on mobile website sessions

But moving beyond statistics, let’s get into the why. Why are people engaging longer and more frequently with apps? The good news, for both your content and your audience, is that apps provide a unique way of connecting with people through their attractive interface, instant accessibility, and convenience to people’s lifestyle.

Take the Facebook app for instance. People use the Facebook app over the mobile website because of its more frequent and accessible content. It allows people to engage with updates and notifications in a more efficient and enjoyable way that fits into their on-the-go daily lifestyle. On the other hand, accessing the mobile site requires you to open a browser, then type in the website address, then type in your login information, and then… are you asleep yet? Apps allow users to get the instant access they need with just the tap of a screen, giving you the opportunity to catch the attention of your audience in ways you never could before.

Congratulations! You’ve now caught your audiences attention, but what about keeping it? Because apps are natively built to function across specific mobile devices and operating systems, the overall experience is more enjoyable as it's tailored to that specific device’s interface design. This includes the navigation throughout the app, media presentation, the ability to access content offline, and integration with other built-in capabilities of a mobile device such as social sharing and syncing calendar events. To put it simply, when it comes to spending time on a mobile device, people will keep engaging with something that’s enjoyable, easy, and fits in with their overall lifestyle.

And let’s not forget about direct communication. Because an app is present on a device’s interface, organizations can use features such as push notifications to communicate messages directly to their audience’s devices. Whereas mobile websites require a user to intentionally conduct a one-way search in a browser to access content, apps allow you and your audience to engage in more two-way communication.

Having a mobile website and mobile app presence are both incredibly valuable, but when it comes to engaging with content, apps have the majority vote. While a mobile website has its value in giving an organization an upper hand in search-ability, apps deliver an interface that gives end-users a more enjoyable experience of media, text, navigation, and ultimately an organization's brand. This makes the small time investment of downloading an app worthwhile, as it produces more frequent and extended engagement from your audience.

In the end, it all comes down to how your audience currently interacts and expects to interact with content on a mobile device. We believe (as do the statistics), that apps give you the unique opportunity to create a deeper connection between your content and your audience. By creating an app for your organization, your content can receive the visibility and engagement it deserves.

Your Media is More Popular Than You Think

“The wifi’s down...”

Unless you have an unlimited data plan, this phrase often instills a slight internal panic. Whether it be a business trying to perform its daily activities, students studying in a cafe, watching Netflix at your house, or trying to pass time at the airport with Youtube videos, we live in a world that is heavily dependent on the internet and our devices.

While this attachment to our devices isn’t anything new, our time spent using them to consume digital media is definitely growing. So much so, that when an internet connection is lost, we suddenly feel a gap - not just in the use of our devices, but also in our daily media consumption habits we are used to.

According to Nielsen’s recent report, a continued growth in digital use is fueling an increase in media time spent. Among 18-34 yr. olds there has been a 53% growth in digital video viewing. However, this isn't just a trend for the millennial - digital media consumption has increased by 80% for ages 35-49, and by 60% for ages 50-64. In fact, digital media surpassed overall consumption on a TV screen in 2014.  

So why do all of these numbers matter? Well, for today’s content providers, delivering your content through effective digital mediums has never been more important. With this scale of growth and interaction, people are naturally developing a standard and an expectation for how they engage with media, both on their devices and on the web. The design, interface, reliability, and overall delivery of the content has become vitally important when it comes to meeting your audience's expectations. Whether it be presenting lecture videos, a sermon archive, or promotional video material, these digital channels provide schools, churches, businesses, and many other organizations a unique opportunity to maximize their audience's engagement with their media.

A good first step is to know how and where your audience is engaging with media. Thanks to a recent study from comScore, we know that the majority of people consume media within mobile apps, accounting for 52% of all digital media use. To break it down further, mobile usage makes up 60% of total digital media time, and desktop-based media makes up the remaining 40%.  Zooming in on just mobile video viewing, video streaming app downloads increased by 44% in 2014, and mobile video is predicted to represent 69% of all mobile traffic by 2018.

Key takeaway? Both mobile and desktop have the influence to help expand the reach of your media, while providing an opportunity to create deeper connections with your audience. No matter what your individual communication strategy needs are, developing an effective digital content strategy will be worth the time and investment.

Here at Subsplash, our heart is to help simplify your process, while giving you the tools to beautifully present your content. This was the foundation of developing Subsplash Cloud, an all-in-one solution for delivering your media. With one place to upload, encode, and manage your media, your content can be delivered through apps, the web, and your podcast feed - all with the click of a button. We want you to reach as many people as possible, and are passionate about helping you deliver a more delightful, enjoyable experience to your audience. We'd love to help get you started.

Our Newest Layout: Gridview

Your artwork just became center-stage. We know you put a lot of effort into crafting beautiful images, and your Van Gogh's and Picasso's are going to love this. With our new Gridview layout option, media content can now be displayed in a way that showcases customized, beautiful artwork. We’re thrilled to see the Village Church, Mars Hill, and The Father’s House already adopting this layout with their captivating sermon series images. With a world that is becoming more and more image-centric, Gridview provides a great option to captivate users with an image based design. Happy customizing!

Ask your favorite App Specialist if you're eligible for our early release of Gridview!