Apple and Google just made it easier!.
Recent Developments.
Apple created this whole native app-economy and always been commited to native apps. Apple supported URL schemes since its first release and there has been good use cases for it. I had used it at Beeonics to launch my trial app from web link as users got emails after signing up to the trial and build their app. Apple announced “Universal” links in IOS9 which will change the game on how apps are going to connected to each other on IOS.
On the other hand, Google always had been chameleon, playing on both sides of the aisle. On one hand it has Android and app eco-system, on the other hand it has its core search business, that is fueled by responsive web apps.
However as native apps took off during 2012-2014, Google started asking their android developers to annotate their native app content to make it searchable, hoping to generate more “indexes” for its core search algorithm. They also asked existing web pages to be mobile responsive to be “achieve” higher ranking in searches. As you can see, it is the dual strategy by Google, hoping native apps will go away someday. But native apps are here to stay and more content is consumed and generated in apps.
So, as always, Google is following apple announcing AppLinks in its upcoming M-Release. Technology of Universal links and M-Links are very similar.
Meanwhile, Facebook has its own story on how to connect the apps, so do twitter. Ad-tech companies want everything connected through ads.
But reality is, with Apple supporting proper deep linking technology, game is still in First innings. This will change the whole game with native apps and paves way into creating whole set of value around mobile. Among them are…
Connecting Native apps.
There are clearly 4 categories in mobile. Being mobile addict, I have 100s of apps on my phone,I categorize my app usage into
1. Native Apps used daily –. Used almost daily by users(Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp). These apps are so sticky, it is like those native apps supplied with theIOS and Android devices.
2. Native Apps provide lot of value – I use them for lot of different things(Expedia, SeatGeek, Macys to Starbucks).
3. Native Apps, that acts as “group” aps – Yelp, Foursquare…Since most of the SMBs don’t want to go through pain of native apps, they rather find a place to promote themselves. – Typically use them and keep them in my deck.
4. Native Apps which is rarely used – I typically install them and delete after the usage.
As we all know, the apps I used are not connected to each other.
Question is: How do we solve this issue?. How do alloweveryone to be winner in Mobile?. Most importantly how to we provide best “user” experience to mobile users, as their expectations is very high.
Making App Content Searchable
On the other side, search engines were unable to index, content inside the apps. This has caused enormous issues for Marketers and Search engines themselves. It is not optimal to send users to web search results on mobile. So, if you are a publisher with both web and mobile channels, they didn’t work seamlessly until now.
Now Google and apple are asking developers to annotate content in certain ways for the content to be picked by their Searches. It just created “search” war between google and apple with apple trying to get into google’s search business. We have to see, if app developers are willing to do this.
For marketers this will be huge win, because now they can make their mobile and web channels work well together.
Less-Intrusive Native Ads.
On the ad-tech side, companies are trying to pursue users with value added “ads”. Traditional native display ad formats which annoyed lot of users, leading towards all time high ad-blockage and some cases deletion of the apps. We have to yet see, how this is going to shape up.
In the next blog, I will discuss how 95% of native apps need different strategy for monetization and survival.