Images  1

That’s the title of an article in the Cult of Mac:

Since then, however, a handful of publications have decided to abandon their presence on iOS devices. Some are planning to build a web app as their only iOS or mobile presence. Others are looking to create deals with various news aggregators. Regardless of their plans, Apple’s terms are one of the key reasons that publishers are getting out of the App Store.

Mobile industry research firm VisionMobile looked at some of the reasons that publishers, including theFinancial Times felt that abandoning a native app strategy was in their best interests. They identified three core reasons that publishers want move to a web-based model.

  • The cost of developing and updating an app
  • Apple’s 30% cut and other App Store policies
  • The way users consume content has changed

The decision to create an iOS app requires an investment by publishers. Developing a solid iPad version of a newspaper or magazine isn’t as simple as creating a PDF of the print content or putting a nice iOS wrapper around an existing website. There’s nothing compelling in that approach that would make most people want to subscribe and pay for the experience. Publishers need to rethink the form that their content takes to deliver a successful iPad edition. That costs money. Updating the app after launching costs money. One argument from publishers is that they can’t afford top-notch developers. Using a mobile website involves less expensive skills and less time. It also  delivers content to multiple devices and platforms.

1 COMMENT

  1. I am really happy to read this. I think the walled gardens are a step backward with each different OS (IOS,Android, Microsoft, etc) requiring a specialised app.

    The web is open to everyone and with HTML5 out, it is easier to produce excellent websites. Produce one website and we can all get access to it. This has to translate in cost savings and the platform does not need the 30%. The web is relatively free as most publishers will already have websites and servers

    I never understood why Apple can charge 30% for just hosting someone else’s work.

The TeleRead community values your civil and thoughtful comments. We use a cache, so expect a delay. Problems? E-mail newteleread@gmail.com.