Reality Check: Evolution of the mobile touch ecosystem

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly Reality Check column. We’ve gathered a group of visionaries and veterans in the mobile industry to give their insights into the marketplace.
Over the past couple of years businesses have been scrambling to develop mobile apps, as the popularity of smart phones has created an app-frenzy world. Even though businesses have put significant time and money into developing apps for different mobile platforms, the mobile touch Web (touch interface Web sites designed for mobile devices) is quickly becoming extremely important for businesses, as the second major wave of content for mobile touch devices is emerging through this platform.
This change should come as no surprise. Since the evolution of the mobile devices, the type of platform consumers’ use to access content has continued to evolve and mature. While apps have become highly popular, the mobile touch Web is becoming very important for the entire mobile ecosystem – especially for businesses. In this article I will examine three reasons why the mobile touch Web is such an important platform as the second wave of content reaches mobile touchscreen devices and how it is already surpassing the apps ecosystem.
1. Universal access
When mobile touch devices first become popular, the iPhone quickly led the charge. However, over the past year more and more mobile touch devices have come to market. While this is great for consumers, who now have their choice of mobile touchscreen devices, businesses are faced with the trying task of developing a separate app for each device. Furthermore, these apps must be updated regularly with new capabilities and features.
As the number of mobile touch devices continues to grow, businesses will see that their money is better spent developing one high-quality mobile touch Web site instead of individual apps for each device platform or carrier network. Being able to focus on one mobile platform instead of multiple apps will allow them to dedicate more time to their mobile presence and develop one really amazing mobile touch Web site with added functionality. Mobile touch sites also eliminate concerns about the lengthy and sometimes frustrating approval process for new or updated apps.
2. Touch friendly
Consumers love to use touch screen devices, as they present an easy and fun way to navigate through content. In fact, the NPD Group just released research this month reporting that consumers are increasingly purchasing handsets with touch screens or QWERTY keyboards and richer interface options. What it really comes down to is that consumers are looking for new ways to use technology. Touchscreen devices allow you to seamlessly move your fingertips to navigate through content in ways we have not been able to prior to this type of technology becoming widely available. It provides consumer with an easy and sensible way to engage content and eliminates the small buttons on mobile devices that can easy get stuck or broken. Touch screen devices also provide a fresh new look and new ways to engage with rich content.
The mobile touch Web is the most logical content platform for touch screen devices. It provides consumers with the ability to navigate the Web the easily and logically – with their fingertips. Even though the Web has traditionally been navigated through a keyboard and mouse, the type of content that is now on the Web has enabled it to become a interactive device that can be flicked through, not clicker through.
3. More functionality
Building on my last point, the mobile touch Web provides the opportunity for additional functionality, including more enhanced mobile commerce. Businesses can develop rich, interesting interactive content for the mobile touch Web because of the way consumers interact with it (flicks not clicks). An activity such as shopping can now be completely done through the mobile touch Web just by using your fingertips, and the site can be designed with rich and colorful content to make the experience enjoyable, easy and as secure as the desktop Web.
While apps will continue to offer richer content for games, the mobile touch Web allows access to a wider range of services than apps offer. Additionally, this massive amount of content provides users with endless entertainment and activities that can be carried with them anywhere.
In conclusion, businesses are embracing the mobile touch Web because touch-friendly Web sites are universally accessible – they can be consumed by any touchscreen device. Building touch friendly Web sites allows them to reach the widest possible audience in a way that apps can not. In fact, apps do not even make up half of the mobile touch ecosystem. According to recent research from Taptu, there are 326,000 touch-friendly sites compared to a total of 180,000 across all platforms. The mobile touch Web is quickly becoming the most important type of content for mobile touch devices and it will be critical for businesses to capitalize in this area.
Steve Ives is co-founder and CEO of Taptu Ltd., a mobile search company based in Cambridge U.K. You can follow him on Twitter at @sives . You can experience touch-friendly search by visiting taptu.com on your mobile browser, or searching for “Taptu” in the App Store on the iPhone. View Taptu’s research on the mobile touch ecosystem at http://taptu.com/metrics and follow us on Twitter @taptu .