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Smart businesses engage with their increasing mobile audience through either a native app or mobile-optimised web. PRDA helps you weigh the pros and cons of each and pick the perfect choice for your business needs.
Rapid advances in HTML5 will narrow the capability gap between mobile-optimised sites and native apps. PRDA recommends that you consider the following before embarking on developing either (or both):
What kind of need does your content serve? A native app offers a deeply immersing experience for your customers. This is a significant advantage on tablet devices, and even more so with niche topics, such as the NY Times election app.
On the other hand, if your business serves some kind of utility function, mobile web will be a better bet. Content publishers, such as newspapers and government services, favor mobile web because it runs on many common smartphone browsers.
How do you want to engage with your customers on these devices? Mobile web offers simple interactivity such as user login, which bodes well if your objective is to offer a fuss-free user experience.
An app would be a better choice for those who want to monetize this engagement. With a superior user interface, apps engage users more deeply and achieve better advertising performance.
What are your cost considerations? Without a doubt, building a mobile-optimised site is much cheaper than developing an app, both in terms manpower and time.
On the other hand, monetisation is often easier on native apps. There is much more room for creative ads development within an apps environment, which can command an advertising premium.
In the debate of native vs mobile web, PRDA recognises that consumers are fast moving towards a ‘multi-screen’ world. Businesses would do well to formulate their communication strategies across a variety of touch points.
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Leave it to the Chinese to make things fancier, funner, more interactive and, well, better. While location based services are all the rage these days (think Foursquare where people childishly compete over mayorships and badges), Chinese start-up Douban has decided it’s about time that they join the bandwagon and basically offer more. Forget about badges for checking in while in an airport somewhere or for being on a ship or for partying with friends until 3 in the morning. Douban.com’s DuiJiao allows users to check-in to venues across China, and share their activity amongst anyone they choose to follow. DuiJiao is the latest addition to Douban.com features which now range from movie and book reviews, user blogs and brand mini sites to its original Last.fm-style music streaming. 
So here’s the lowdown - DuiJiao has all the features of a “standard” location based service but what makes it really better is the fact that it provides the platform for people to share their expertise, tips and reviews about a certain venue or service and people can also ask! Moreover, DuiJiao can also let the users “follow” venues as well as individuals. This means that DuiJiao has infused the power of Twitter and microblogging within their location based service. This is a plus point for owners of a certain business since he or she can follow what the customers want, ask for, discuss about and even criticize. It’s instant feedback that they can “follow” or monitor using any Internet ready gadget or mobile/smart phone. Instant feedback straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. Currently, Sina Weibo microblogging service users can log-in and use all the features by connecting with their Weibo account, for a single sign-in solution. Like our facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/PRDA.AsiaOr Follow us on Twitter:http://twitter.com/#!/PRDA_asia
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