The conversation is no longer about mobile web vs mobile app, Android vs iOS, but about how to leverage each device and each platform's individual nuances to create a multi-device, multi-platform product ecosystem. What does it take to build a successful product and what does a product need in order to be “sticky”? This presentation addresses these questions through the learnings of the past four years of offering inclusion for everywhere, everyone,…and every device at Groupon. Underlying this is understanding the key behaviors of users on each device. For instance, a mobile website might get a lot of first time users whereas a mobile app might tend to have a more loyal repeat-user base. This means on mobile web finding ways to minimize the effort, be it by eliminating unnecessary logins or distracting functionality, may play an important role. This presentation will consider the key factors that ensure the success of the device/medium individually and within the larger ecosystem.

1. Multi-device, Multi-platform Mobile Apps
Sean McCullough, Senior Platform Engineer, Groupon
Nov 13, 2014

2. Leading the way in mobile
commerce
Groupon’s vibrant mobile marketplace connects
consumers with their local economy
Mobile accounts for more than half
of Groupon’s transactions worldwide
Our mobile app is available in 43 countries.
2
Nearly 100 million people worldwide
have downloaded our mobile app at the end of
Q2 2014.
One of the 25 most downloaded
free
apps of all time in the United States
Sources: Internal Data; iTunes ranking for US stores available here - https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewFeature?id=500873243&mt=8&v0=www-itunes25Bcountdown-
appstore

3. What is the Device/Platform Ecosystem?
3
Source: http://www.marketingcharts.com/online/in-the-us-time-spent-with-mobile-apps-now-exceeds-the-desktop-web-41153/

4. Mobile Product Development
Making actions simple
•Don’t remove features
•Simplify user experience
Don’t waste their time
•Move relevant content
and interactions to top

5. Mobile Product Development
Optimizing for the device
•Less words
•More photos and videos
•Tactile
Mobile relevance
•Location
•Time of day
•Device
Test A Test B

6. The Device Ecosystem

7. 7
Mobile Apps vs. Mobile Web
Source: http://www.exacttarget.com/sites/exacttarget/files/deliverables/etmc-2014mobilebehaviorreport.pdf

8. Benefits of Mobile Web
Mobile Web Mobile App
• More first time users
• Easier to integrate with email and
marketing
• Easier to rollout new features
• Simpler Experimentation
• Largest possible audience (5x times
more than a native app)

9. Benefits of Native Mobile Apps
• Greater engagement and
conversions
• More “stickiness” and loyalty
• Richer experience
• Better speed and performance
• Sessions are 3x-4x longer
Source: Adobe Digital Index

10. Not all Native App Platforms are Equal
A word on the Android vs iOS differences…
• Android apps are used 40% more often
but iOS apps still get 2x time spent per month
• Android users download more apps
but discard them after they open them once
Source: Adobe Digital Index

11. Native App Engagement
In the travel industry, consumers spend:
•20+ minutes per session on native
•4-5 minutes on a web session
Source: Adobe Digital Index

12. The full page intercept
12
And so we get this…

13. 13
Feature Parity is Difficult

14. 14
Centralized Data Source

15. 15
Building a Multi-Platform Website

16. Takeaways…
Web apps and Native apps on mobile have different use cases
Not an “either – or” thing

17. Takeaways…
Native apps lack:
•Seamless experience to external referrals
•Interoperability with other applications
•Distribution freedom (app stores)

18. Takeaways…
While native apps are winning, there will always be a place for mobile web.
Depends on:
•Delivering open architecture
•Building performant sites
•Improving user experience of mobile web

19. Users expect a seamless experience
no matter which platform/device.
Takeaways…

20. mccullough@groupon.com
@mcculloughsean
Groupon Engineering Blog
https://engineering.groupon.com/