Mike, I generally agree with the point you are making but the comparison you use to make your point is flawed in this example.
A movie theater is showing the exact same movie we can (eventually) see on our home theaters. The core product is exactly the same. Yes, going out to the movies is a social experience, and in a best case scenario a great movie seen on a big screen with a great sound system will surpass most home theaters. But the core product, the movie, is exactly the same.
A restaurant experience can and often includes food we could not duplicate at home. Better or harder to find ingredients. Skill, originality and artistry that non-professionals cannot match. Not to mention the convenience of not having to cook and clean and the ambiance.
Your comparison doesn't work.
But at the end of day, there is no doubt home theaters, DVDs, streaming movies and, yes, VCRs, do and can impact box office. But you can't stop progress.
Does it spell the end of the theater business? No. Can theaters do a better job of making the theater experience better. Yes, of course, and some are doing that not only by tackling the low hanging fruit (cleaner, better service, reserve seating) but also through different models like serving meals and alcohol, and/or showing live concerts.
I work for a major web publisher who also has one of the leading mobile content sites. Our research has shown the opposite of what you state: click-through rates, as well as other important metrics such as ad and message awareness, are actually higher on mobile than on our site and vs. web industry standards.
The current line of thought is that this is because mobile ads are still new and somewhat of a novelty and that, in time, metrics will fall in line with where the web is now.
As to the "mobile web" vs. the standard web on a phone such as an iPhone, there will probably be a place for both. A mobile phone screen is not, and will never be, like a monitor. It is much smaller. Likewise for a mobile phone keyboard or pointing device.
Therefore, for some applications and content, there will be a need for content specifically designed with a mobile device in mind.
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Agree but your argument is flawed
Mike, I generally agree with the point you are making but the comparison you use to make your point is flawed in this example.
A movie theater is showing the exact same movie we can (eventually) see on our home theaters. The core product is exactly the same. Yes, going out to the movies is a social experience, and in a best case scenario a great movie seen on a big screen with a great sound system will surpass most home theaters. But the core product, the movie, is exactly the same.
A restaurant experience can and often includes food we could not duplicate at home. Better or harder to find ingredients. Skill, originality and artistry that non-professionals cannot match. Not to mention the convenience of not having to cook and clean and the ambiance.
Your comparison doesn't work.
But at the end of day, there is no doubt home theaters, DVDs, streaming movies and, yes, VCRs, do and can impact box office. But you can't stop progress.
Does it spell the end of the theater business? No. Can theaters do a better job of making the theater experience better. Yes, of course, and some are doing that not only by tackling the low hanging fruit (cleaner, better service, reserve seating) but also through different models like serving meals and alcohol, and/or showing live concerts.
Not what we've seen
I work for a major web publisher who also has one of the leading mobile content sites. Our research has shown the opposite of what you state: click-through rates, as well as other important metrics such as ad and message awareness, are actually higher on mobile than on our site and vs. web industry standards.
The current line of thought is that this is because mobile ads are still new and somewhat of a novelty and that, in time, metrics will fall in line with where the web is now.
As to the "mobile web" vs. the standard web on a phone such as an iPhone, there will probably be a place for both. A mobile phone screen is not, and will never be, like a monitor. It is much smaller. Likewise for a mobile phone keyboard or pointing device.
Therefore, for some applications and content, there will be a need for content specifically designed with a mobile device in mind.