Trends in mobile applications impact more than just the owners of app stores. As mobile interfaces cause consumer behaviors and expectations to change, we are starting to see an evolution of mobile web-based interactions as well. We recently interviewed Matt Carinio, Sr. Business Analyst at LEVEL, to discuss what apps mean for all businesses that manage online experiences at a broader level. We’ll explore the topic over a series of blog posts. Feel free to post your own questions too.

Question: What are the real behind-the-scenes influencers driving the adoption of applications?

Matt: The two drivers of application adoption are convenience and entertainment.  Convenience in the respect that many mobile applications are form factor specific when it comes to content.  Whether it is your favorite news, weather, or financial website or a service site that provides recommendations of the best movies or restaurants in your area; content is still king when it comes to digital.  Applications allow publishers and their app developers to create an experience tailored to certain devices while taking advantage of the latest OS capabilities.  It is not uncommon for app customers to download all of their desktop bookmarks in their mobile app format as their initial introduction to world of mobile apps.

The second driver revolves around entertainment.  Phones are no longer just reserved for communication or even content consumption; many times they are used to as a fun way to kill time.  Games have always had their place in the history of the cell phone (think Tetris), and the display and performance characteristics of the latest incarnations of phones provide an ever-engaging gaming experience.