Myths About Web-Enabled Mobile event solutions With so many vendors in the marketplace, it s hard to know where to start looking for the right mobile solution for your next event and even harder to tell them apart. Some vendors offer native event apps designed specifically for the mainstream mobile device platforms, including ios, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone. Others focus exclusively on solutions that run in your web browser, while some offer both. The biggest mistake we made as a company was betting too much on HTML5 as opposed to native. Mark Zuckerberg, Chairman and Chief Executive, Facebook Inc. Best practice, in fact, is achieved with a combination of the two: native apps that offer the richest user experience possible for the majority of your attendees, and a web-enabled solution as backup for the attendees on platforms and operating systems you re not supporting. Know the differences and tradeoffs between web-enabled solutions versus native apps. You may end up with a far less engaged audience if you opt for a web-enabled solution alone than if you provide a combination of the two. Buyer Beware
Here are 10 common myths about web-enabled mobile event solutions and why it matters for your events: Myth #1 It s faster to develop a web-enabled solution than a native event app. With today s technology, native apps can be built across multiple device platforms in less time than building a single web-enabled solution. Event professionals are able to provide an event app built specifically for each device platform, giving attendees a richer user experience and eliminating the need to constantly be connected to the Internet. Myth #2 If I want to launch my mobile event solution on time, I need to use a web-enabled solution. Launching a native app on time has nothing to do with development cycles. Native apps can be launched at any point prior to an event and changes to content can be made on-the-fly, whether it s before or after an app has been released. For some app stores, however, there is an approval period that must be factored into any deployment schedule. Myth #3 A web-enabled event solution will give my attendees the same user experience as a native event app. Web-enabled solutions impose an outdated interface that is reminiscent of old web technology: requiring users to click and refresh a browser for every action. Although HTML5 and Responsive Web Design attempts to address many of these issues, HTML5 content consistently fails to leverage all the native facilities available on mobile platforms. Even worse, HTML5 and Responsive Web Design implementations vary across mobile platforms and require extensive server side development. Native apps provide a richer user experience that includes animation overlays, contextual content, personalization features as well as integration with built-in mobile device features such as cameras, push notifications and rich media that is not possible in web-enabled solutions. Want to include an interactive game at your event? Not without native apps.
Myth #4 Attendees don t need to be constantly connected to the Internet with web-enabled event solutions. Although web-enabled solutions have the ability to cache data, they are cumbersome when it comes to handling large amounts of information because they only cache the web page data. Imagine the user experience at events with thousands of participants: something as simple as an attendee search often requires lengthy downloads of data while the user waits. Even if the WiFi is fast and consistent, attendees often give up in frustration while waiting. Most venues do not have the connectivity to support sophisticated web browser applications. Myth #5 If I buy a web-enabled solution, I ll get all the same features as a native event app. Numerous features like search, polls, surveys, like-minded matchmaking, in-app messaging, gamification, personalization features and others are simply not possible with a web-enabled solution. This creates a huge gap between what you can and cannot deliver to your attendees with a native event app. Web-enabled solutions are best provided as backups for attendees arriving with legacy devices without the latest technology. Myth #6 Because a webenabled solution can be accessed on any mobile device, more attendees will use it than a native event app. In fact, the opposite is true. Event attendees are more likely to download and use a native mobile app than use a web-enabled solution. On average, adoption of native apps is 75-85% at events much higher than adoption of web-enabled solutions that require constant access to the web. The fact is 85-90% of the traffic from mobile devices in North America is accessed through applications, not web browsers.
Myth #7 It s less risky to buy a web-enabled solution because native event apps overwhelm the WiFi when attendees download the app. Consider that events often take place in meeting facilities with extremely poor WiFi coverage. Now imagine the chaos when the WiFi is overwhelmed by hundreds or thousands of attendees using a webenabled solution that requires a connection to the Internet every time a selection is made. Native apps, on the other hand, are downloaded only once and are optimized to function with little or no WiFi connectivity. Furthermore, a well designed native app will operate in both offline and online modes. Myth #8 I don t have to worry about security and privacy when I buy a webenabled event solution. Security and privacy are big problems with web-enabled solutions because they are typically browser based and open to the web. In other words, anyone who knows the website address can access your event information. Although a single login can be shared by all attendees, it is impossible to provide the security and privacy available in native event apps that offer individual logins and permissions that are based on roles.
Myth #9 I can rely on HTML5 technology to provide a consistent user experience across all device types. In the wake of Facebook and LinkedIn dumping web-enabled HTML5 solutions for native apps, many event professionals are questioning claims about the universality and effectiveness of HTML5. Since HTML5 and Responsive Web Design are not yet standardized and may not be for years to come, event professionals are reluctant to invest in technology that is not always compatible with browsers on certain devices and does not offer the same level of functionality as native apps. Myth #10 A web-enabled solution will save me money. Although web-enabled solutions inherently offer less functionality than native event apps, they can still cost more depending upon the features, integration complexities, level of customization and other factors. The argument that you only have to develop the webenabled app once and one has to develop native apps for several platforms assumes that developers are starting from scratch each time they develop the app. With modern development tools and application frameworks native apps can be built in a matter of hours or minutes. p. +1 604 875 0403 e. sales@quickmobile.com w. www.quickmobile.com