THIS year belongs to the tablet; all the major brands have and will be launching their rivals for the iPad this year, of note is the Blackberry PlayBook, rumoured to be launching next month and looking to open the market further.

Now is the time to think about your mobile web strategy, consumers have more options than ever before, mobile web apps just might be the answer to reaching multiple devices.

Mobile web apps are developed in HTML5, meaning they will work on a large amount of mobile devices, making it much easier to view multimedia content across operating systems and a great alternative to native apps, which currently dominate the touch-screen device market.

Native apps are downloaded and installed to a mobile device, whereas web apps run in a web browser but can mimic a native app in look and feel.

Consumers expect content that will work on any platform; the latest wave of new mobile devices will accelerate this demand. HTML5 makes it easier to integrate and view multimedia content on mobile web apps, without the problems often found when trying to view certain Flash content on Apple mobile devices.

In essence, if you want to reach your customers across multiple devices, then you need to think about developing solutions in HTML5, the improved access to functionality can greatly increase user and brand experience. This can result in tangible business benefits such as improved sales through bookings, enquiries and mobile checkout payments.

The native downloadable apps can be very good, but it’s about balancing a client’s budget, getting more value, longevity and market reach out of a project.

A mobile web app can be the perfect solution – they can be packaged for download to varying mobile devices, which is often the case when adding more complex features such as databases, or camera or GPS functionalities.

Expense, device limitations and lack of understanding can be limiting factors when investing in mobile solutions. We are currently working with clients to make their business ready for better mobile web performance across multiple platforms.