Brands and agencies are faced by the dilemma of selecting between mobile applications and full fledged mobile portals to reach out to all their customers. On one hand apps offer an amazing consumer experience on smartphones and on the other they only cover a small market niche for which brands need to build multiple versions of applications for different operating systems. Mobile Portals are universal but they are known for poor user experience, slow speed, payment transaction problems and data bill shock.

Mobile Applications currently serve a smaller audience but result in much higher consumption and response. With the prices of smartphones coming down, apps will eventually become a mass market phenomenon. In the short term smartphone apps especially built for apple devices are experiencing mass uptake and getting good return on investment. Google Android based applications may also become the fastest growing channel in the near future. Since your CEO or CTO is walking around with a smartphone it is easier to get the business case explained and seek budget approval.

However, in the long term branded mobile portals will be the way forward. Mobile technology is fast changing and just like the web you need to constantly evolve and upgrade mobile internet portals. And that is why Wireless Expertise believes brands need to follow a dual App & Browser based services strategy. A multi channel strategy provides the greatest potential for a mass market proposition and is the ideal model for brands to reach out to 100% of their consumers.