Apps versus Browsers

Apps versus Browsers  

Resurgence of the Mobile Browser

Mobile browsers were not long ago overrun by apps, but they are making a comeback of sorts, writes Shelley Singh

In 2007, Apple turned the mobile phone industry on its head, showcasing software applications that could be downloaded from an app store, or play store for Android users, onto smartphone screens. Apps became the quick, single touch gateway to the mobile internet. The “quick, single touch gateway to the mobile internet “until then was the mobile browser--much like browsers on desktops. Apps came almost a decade later and quickly usurped the position enjoyed by mobile browsers.

“With apps you don't have to boot up, “says Anand Chandrasekaran, chief product officer, Snapdeal. “User gets instant gratification. “

While that ease of use of apps remains intact, the mobile browser is increasingly making a comeback of sorts. It is not hard to see why.

The app world is crowded, with more than 3 million Android, iOS and Windows apps. They are jostling for limited screen space-the average user has no more than 15-20 apps and most of them come embedded on the smartphone. The “uninstall rate“for new apps is 90%, according to Gurgaon-based mobile analytics platform Uninstall.IO. Remarkable is the app that lasts for more than a week on the phone.

This drawback of apps has turned the tide in favour of the browser. Companies aren't yet ditching the app, but are revisiting their development labs to come out with mobile sites accessed from browsers.

Nigel Eastwood, CEO, New Call Telecom says there is only a finite number of apps that users will have a on a regular basis.  “Companies thought they will miss out without an app. Now they see both co-exist.“

New Call, a UK headquartered telecom services provider recently announced a $300 million investment in India to expand services like WiFi in India.

Fashion e-tailer Myntra, which ditched the website and went app only in May 2015, revived its website in December 2015. Now it has an app and a site.

“An apps-only plan limits the reach of companies on mobile devices,“ says Kenny Ye, general manager, global markets, Alibaba Mobile Business Group, which owns UCBrowser, a mobile browser provider.

Apps versus Browsers 

Apps have grown in popularity because they are easy to use and handy at that. In the digital era, information is key, and apps provide a better picture of user habits-your shopping and travel preferences for example -so that companies can coax you with the best deals.

Earlier generation browsers did not offer this kind of dexterity. They were not even good in exploiting features of the device -like GPS. Browser developers also lacked imagination; they just moved their desktop sites to the mobile browser, compromising user experience.

But new generation browsers like the latest versions of Chrome, Safari and UCBrowser have fixed these defects. They offer a lot more information than earlier at a single place.

“Smooth performance (responding to touch, scrolling pages) was a challenge on earlier browsers, “says Rahul Roy Chowdhury, director of product management, Google Chrome. “Now, pages respond well to touch, even in poor connectivity areas.“

Browsers also beat apps in some features.It's easier for shoppers to compare products and prices across e-tailers via the browser.

A user can now shop, check cricket scores or even their train departure status from a single browser window. For instance, UC Browser tied up with Microsoft Bing and Twitter to give live updates of the World T20 that kicked off on March 8. Says Ye, “This means a user need not use separate apps to access such content. “

Adds Chowdhury, “Web browsers offer easy discovery and low friction (just click a link as opposed to downloading an app). “

In other words, even if users are reluctant to download an app, there's the mobile site the user can check out.

Plumbers to beauty services provider Housejoy, funded by Matrix Partners, Amazon and others, started in January 2015 as a desktop site, moved to mobile browser in April 2015 and developed an app in October. Half its customers come via the app.

Arjun Mendu, co-founder Housejoy, is content with the balance. “Frequency of usage is key on app. We realise that for one-off services like calling an electrician, people won't download our app. So we have half our team focusing on the browser as well.“

Some companies like Portea Medical, a home healthcare services provider, have new customers come via the browser and once they avail of the services frequently, they download the app. Most of Portea's traffic actually comes via the browser. Though with the app, users can chat with doctors, check out appointment slots for any service they need or pay for their existing bookings.

Ye says apps are good if the user base is large -like Paytm has 100 million users or Facebook has 120 million users in India--and frequency of use is high-like WhatsApp or Ola or Uber, at least five to six times a week.

These apps have a devoted customer base.An app-only strategy can spell doom for companies that have an unreliable set of customers -like Amazon or Flipkart.  “Unless you have a `killer app' there's little chance an app will get on to users' screen,“ says Ye.

Companies will not ditch apps yet because they are able to track the identity of users and send silent push notifications.  Browsers lack this feature. 

Tapping the Traffic

The co-existence of mobile browsers and apps comes at a time when there is a rise in internet traffic on smartphones.  According to Inter net and Mobile Association of India, the internet user base crossed 400 million in December 2015. About 6 million new internet users are added every month, all on mobiles.

But challenges loom over apps.

India has 1 billion mobile phone users.  Almost 90% users have a phone that costs below `8,000. These have low memory and slow processors. But most apps are heavy--more than 5 mb and often exceeding 8 mb. Some of the furniture apps are 30 mb in size. Computing resources to download and run apps is limited on low end phones. Top end phones that can accommodate these apps cost a bomb.

Browsers have no such problems.  They offer content and functionalities across categories. Alok Mishra, founder, Uninstall.IO, a mobile analytics platform says apps have advantages but have to be developed for different operating systems -Android, iOS, Windows etc while a single site is good for any browser. “The cost of developing a browser site is one-third of an app. Besides, chance of an app malfunctioning or crashing is higher than that of a mobile site.“

UC Browser's Ye says the mobile browsing experience needs to be `mobilized' though--taking into account the mobility nature and full use of smart sensors, including users location, time of day, voice input capability to make it an `ambient aware browsing experience'.

Still, the gap between the browser and the app is closing, with newer browsers able to understand users better and exploit device features as well. Alok Goel, managing director, Saif Partners, a venture capital firm says people used to think mobile was app only. “In 2016, people will know the real mobile is the browser.“

Source | Economic Times | 29 March 2016

Regards

Pralhad Jadhav

Senior Librarian

Khaitan & Co

Upcoming Event | National Conference on Future Librarianship: Innovation for Excellence (NCFL 2016) during April 22-23, 2016.

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