Turn on your Mac and take a look at the OS screen. Now, turn on your
iPad and look at its screen. Notice many differences? If your computer
and iPad are fairly new, you probably don’t. Apple’s Mac OS is gradually
morphing to resemble its mobile operating system.
Why is this? More people use Apple’s mobile devices and are
comfortable with that OS, so it’s a natural progression for the company
to have its computers use the same system. The mobile system has to be
simple, because people need to access functions with fewer steps using
nothing but their thumbs. This streamlined, more intuitive operating
system makes sense on the computer as well as on a mobile device. As a
result, Apple is unifying all of its products under one very similar
operating system.
Mobile Is the New Laptop
Do you remember when laptops first hit the scene? The ability to take
your computer with you wherever you went was so novel, it didn’t matter
that these early computers were heavy, clunky beasts. You had to have
one.
Now, you can have the power of a computer in the palm of your hand.
As more and more sites turn mobile-friendly, going completely mobile is
actually quite doable. In fact, in 2010, up to 25 percent of Americans
were mobile-only users, which meant they rarely, if ever, touched a computer to access the Internet.
Many more use the Internet regularly on their phone or other mobile
device. This is a huge market and a source of tremendous revenue for
those who can develop mobile-friendly apps and websites. That is why
Apple, for one, is focusing on making all of its products, including its
OS, mobile-friendly.
Facebook Getting in on the Game Too
Facebook is another company that is paying attention to this mobile
trend, and for good reason. Facebook lost quite a bit of money after
going public, watching its share prices drop by half. Part of the reason
for the loss of revenue is the number of people who are going mobile,
and the lack of revenue provided to the site by these users.
Facebook’s most recent version of its mobile app makes it faster and
easier for mobile users to access the social networking site. The social
media giant is also making changes to its various social gaming
platforms to make them as mobile-friendly as possible. The goal is to
make the site and its features more mobile-friendly while introducing
revenue generators such as subscription-based games or sponsored search
results.
The Future of the Mobile Web
The mobile Web has streamlined much of the Internet and has made
Internet-based advertising opportunities more difficult. That tiny
screen simply doesn’t have room for much advertising. Also, Smartphone
owners don’t like obtrusive ads and will quickly click away from sites
that have them. Finally, people are spending more time on apps than
simply browsing the Web. The future of mobile revenue will have to be built into apps.
As a result, app developers are looking for ways to make their products profitable, without
sacrificing what people love about the mobile Web. The result is
features like sponsored search results, in-app upgrade options and
click-to-call ads.
As Apple and Facebook continue to work on making the World Wide Web
as mobile-friendly as possible, other sites also are catching on. These
mobile advertising platforms are still in their infancy but, like all
babies, they will develop with time. The developers who get in on the
ground floor are poising themselves for success.
Joseph Baker Post from: SiteProNews:
