Should new consumer web products be mobile-first?
Originally published on Kapuno in the Technology community
🔗 Mobile Second: Still A Winning Strategy (Article)
“Mobile-first” is a product strategy where the design of the mobile experience is prioritized higher than the desktop/web experience.
I’ve debated it with a lot of people, including the author of the attached link, and came to a simple conclusion. Mobile-first only makes sense for experiences which are more about consumption and short-form communications. If the application is meant for on-the-go usage, then mobile-first is the way to go.
Taking this product as the case-and-point, a mobile-first approach would lead to a very different type of conversation. It would lead to shorter conversation headlines, no posts, short responses, misspellings, poor grammar, and text-message speak. Because we want the standard to be thoughtful content prior to moving to mobile, we have been focused on the web experience.
Should new consumer web products be mobile-first?
Responses
Sam Edwards
November 28, 2012
No. A business is built around owning a niche area. Mobile is very important, but web is the most important, mobile web is second and native mobile apps is 3rd. Then again, this is different in each use case.
Cyrus Radfar (November 28, 2012)
It’s interesting to hear you say that when you’re a mobile app wizard. What do you hear from your existing and new clients? Do they build apps because they *need* the app or because they think it’s the cool thing to do?
Sam Edwards (November 28, 2012)
I appreciate the “mobile app wizard” title, but I’m more-so a frontend developer and Java developer. Android is a good fit for those skills, but that doesn’t make me want to code a native app first.
Clients have pulled me on for native apps because they either already have a iOS experience they need to replicate, or they are looking to do something that requires the use of hardware on the mobile device.
I personally think the web, mobile web, mobile native order is the best because you can reach larger audiences from the beginning. Especially as a one man shop. It would be silly to waste time on a single platform when you can cover many using something like phonegap to expand your mobile web experience. As we know, products need iteration and the fewer moving pieces during change equals less issues in the long run. Ideally a native app is the best experience, but the problem is first determining what your app really needs to do and how it needs to do it.
Mahdi Abdulrazak
November 29, 2012
If the service is mobile centric e.g. LBS, then yes, else web first. I do believe that the web and mobile/native will eventually merge.
Cyrus Radfar (November 29, 2012)
What are the most common apps that you use on your mobile?
Alex Calic (November 29, 2012)
Was talking about this over lunch yesterday. The apps I use the most (in order) are: TweetDeck, Foursquare, Soundcloud and RunKeeper.
Sam Edwards (November 29, 2012)
Facebook, Foursquare & RunKeeper.
Hooman Radfar (November 29, 2012)
Outside of default communication apps (Text, call) I use Gmail, Calendar, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify the most.
Javin Ladish (November 29, 2012)
Instagram, Facebook, Yelp, and about 30 highly addictive games.
Mahdi Abdulrazak (November 29, 2012)
Twitter, Gmail and dictionary.
Hooman Radfar
November 29, 2012
I think start-ups should be built with customer first. With that perspective in mind, you should prioritize the digital platforms you build for and the customer acquisition channels you leverage to gain those customers accordingly. It’s just that simple.