We keep hearing that the future is mobile and that everybody will have mobile phones or foldable devices in the future, and always be on the go. But is it even possible? Will these portable devices be as strong as desktops? Or is it just something marketers have come up to encourage more traffic from mobile users? Let’s try to answer those questions.
Depends on the industry
It honestly depends on which industry the new craze targets, but not all of them can be swayed to change their ways and adapt to the trends. For example, it is impossible to persuade video game lovers to abandon their monster Personal Computers in favour of tablets or phones to play on. Neither can programmers find it convenient to tap away at a touch screen and try to write code that way.
The entities most affected by the new trend will most likely be, trading centres, streaming services and just plain website owners and bloggers.
In most cases, people consume entertaining content through comfortable positions. Something that a PC cannot provide and a laptop may fail on several occasions. Therefore we see more and more people stock up on new generation phones and tablets to enjoy videos and articles on their couches while they sip their coffee.
Those channels will most likely become the best option for marketers to use ads. But what about channels that don’t feature ads? Channels that are products themselves?
One such example is the financial industry, where pretty much everything is dependant on the performance of the trading apps. The effects, advanced technology has on the markets can already be seen. A trader in the past had to be physically present to place an order. Now, however, they can do so without even getting up from their bed. It’s not clear whether or not this creates a better environment in terms of efficiency, or just forms a lazier customer base. Nevertheless, the number of investors has increased significantly because of this and the companies were able to grow.
When will the trend start?
The trend has already started. Companies or services you’d never imagine have started pumping out apps like there’s no tomorrow. Even popular websites, which are easily accessible through built-in browsers on the mobiles, have created their own apps to accommodate the trend. Most of these websites are news related.
Some companies base their whole business plan on Apps, such as Uber and Lyft, while others keep it as a supporting role.
Being one of the few apps on a person’s phone is becoming more and more like a however, which puts the whole “Mobile Future” argument in jeopardy. But all we have to do is wait and see what the future brings. The more available space people have on their phones without causing serious issues with the device, the more realistic the trend will become. Therefore, almost all is dependent on the manufacturers.