Native apps for iOS and Android are the future! – Mark Zuckerberg

facebook goes mobileInformation overload is one of the main challenges for corporate communication of SMEs. It raises the question of how companies can successfully stand out from competitors in a sea of offers and information.

The main drivers of this development are social networks and mobile Internet, which are constantly available to us via smartphones and tablets. Especially apps that run on these devices and provide us with all this information.

But even leading companies have missed this trend for a long time.
An interesting example is Facebook.

“HTML5 was a mistake”

Historically, they come from the development of desktop solutions in the form of the Facebook website. As mobile Internet increasingly gained importance, the decision was made about 2 years ago to focus on HTML5 technology. The intended advantage of this solution was the capability to present Facebook on different devices such as smartphones and tablets from different manufacturers based on the same platform.

In an interview with Michael Arrington at the Web conference “Disrupt”, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg now regrets that decision: “It was our biggest strategic mistake that we were betting too much on HTML5. We just were not able get the quality that we wanted. We burned 2 years and that’s really painful.”

Facebook is now focusing primarily on native apps for the mobile operating systems, iOSĀ from Apple and Google’s Android. “This is the future!” underlines Mark Zuckerberg his strategic considerations. Mobile solutions have huge benefits:

  • More Users
  • Users spend more time and have a higher interaction
  • Facebook can earn more money

Facebook goes mobile

The recently updated Facebook app for iOS already proves that this is the right way. The number of feeds read on the new native Facebook app have already doubled.

The topic of “mobile” was previously often considered as the vulnerability of Facebook. Now Mark Zuckerberg made his first public appearance after the IPO to provide clarity in the strategic direction: Facebook goes mobile.

On one hand Facebook will be a more effective platform for SMEs to connect with with their customers. At the same time, the new orientation of Facebook will make a further contribution to information overload.

Managing consulting firmĀ say when GmbH supports its customers with concepts for strategic communications and value-based branding, in order to secure a competitive advantage in this flood of offers and information.

Watch full interview video with Mark Zuckerberg below or on Techcrunch, it offers very interesting insights into the strategy of Facebook.

Author: Werner Mueller

Werner Mueller is founder and CEO of say when GmbH, a management consulting firm headquartered in Lucerne, Switzerland. say when is committed to help corporate clients to gain competitive advantage in an environment where businesses face a challenge caused by a phenomenon known as information overload. Werner has 18 years of professional expierence in service marketing based on numerous projects with Swiss SMEs and large international corporations. He holds a masters degree in Communication Management from Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

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