The Web as we once knew it is officially dead. And Wired.com is performing the last rites. Not that long ago, tech prophets were forecasting that the common Web browser would soon replace pricey software with an online world of free global goodies. But the opposite is happening. Apps are rising and Web browser surfing is on the decline.
Wired.com puts it this way: “You wake up and check your email on your bedside iPad — that’s one app. During breakfast you browse Facebook, Twitter, and The New York Times — three more apps. On the way to the office, you listen to a podcast on your smartphone. Another app. At work, you scroll through RSS feeds in a reader and have Skype and IM conversations. More apps. At the end of the day, you come home, make dinner while listening to Pandora, play some games on Xbox Live, and watch a movie on Netflix’s streaming service. You’ve spent the day on the Internet — but not on the Web.”
The culprit in this sea change may well be the Apple iPhone. And as Wired.com observes, “it’s a world Google can’t crawl, one where HTML doesn’t rule.”
How does this impact today’s marketers? Should they put that new website on hold? Not at all. But the next iteration of your website should be more mobile-friendly. Your Internet dollars need to be more targeted. Be aware of this subtle paradigm shift in every decision you make. No longer is the world just browsing. They are busy buying and you need to be there to take their money.
