A study of the Top 100 media publications in the United States by 2ergo found that 84% of the publications have a mobile website, a mobile application or both. Mobile sites were the most common,
followed closely by iPhone applications, with Android and BlackBerry applications lagging.
The study investigated Burrelles Luce's 2011 Top Media Outlets list of daily newspapers, popular
blogs and consumer magazines, and found that:
- Seventy percent of the top 100 publications have a mobile site and 71% of them have released an iPhone, Android or BlackBerry mobile
application
- Daily newspapers lead the way in providing mobile-friendly experiences with 86% of them having a mobile site. Bloggers followed with a healthy 64%, while the top consumer
publications lag behind with only 44% having a mobile site.
- Newspapers lead the way in smartphone applications with 92% of them having released at least one app. 88% have an iPhone app, 38%
have an Android app and 36% have a BlackBerry app. 28% have all three types of applications.
- Of the consumer publications, 64% have released at least one smartphone application, followed by
bloggers at just 36%
- The majority of newspapers have chosen to monetize their mobile websites with 66% of them doing mobile advertising
- here are more than double the number of iPhone
apps than Android apps from the media outlets surveyed
Response to
Mobile Access Demand (% of Selected Media) |
Media | Mobile
Site | Ad Supported Mobile Site | iPhone App | Blackberry App | Android App |
Newspapers | 86% | 66% | 88% | 36% | 38% |
Blogs | 64 | 20 | 36 | 16 | 28 |
Consumer magazines | 44 | 20 | 60 | 12 | 28 |
Resource: 2Ergo, May 2011 |
Michael Scully, Market Director at 2ergo Americas, says "... the number of
overall mobile subscribers accessing the mobile web continues to increase at a rapid pace... one of the most popular categories is news... "
Scully continued "... many newspapers and
consumer publications chose to launch a smartphone application before a mobile site, despite the fact that the mobile web has the potential to reach a wider audience at a lower cost..."
The study found media publications that offer readers exceptional mobile experiences focus squarely on providing up-to-the-minute news, leaving traditional items such as editorial and features to
their print and online properties.
And, in the United Kingdom, says 2ergo, Of the 719 UK print media titles studied, only 11%, are using mobile websites to reach the widest audience
possible.
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