As the PC experience keeps pushing away from the OS and into the browser as the main entry point for data, with web sites being those data points – the mobile experience is doing the opposite. It keeps pushing users back to the OS level as the entry point to get to data, with those data points being apps.
One consequence of that experience: how will businesses harvest value from the users interactions when a user is not in their app? That problems has manifested itself into things such as app discovery, re-targeting, etc. Where before serendipity and injection in the browser experience had value for advertiser, the mobile user is more specific with their actions. Entering the phone to get specific data from specific apps.
Unfortunately the OS level of a mobile device isn’t in itself serendipitous, and therefor many business must rethink how they get injected into a users experience, before the user knows they want it.
The idea of “browse” has changed considerably in mobile, and one must focus on the change in foundation to re-think how to create new solutions to old problems.
One way to look at this through the lens of solutions: If the mobile device, which is primarily intent based and very rarely spoken of in terms of browsing, pushes its content to the web; And the PC, which is primarily referred to using the word “browse”, pushes users serendipitously to a device; then having the two work with one another as an ecosystem allows both sides of the puzzle to fill in for weaknesses and leverage strengths, and most importantly solve problems with tools that cross the device/tool/experience chasim. This is a true form of making vertical fragmentation (single user cross many devices) work for you.
Sean Shadmand 