Facebook App Store

[Mr Happy]

I was thinking a lot about the way websites and technology is going. Everyone has noticed the push to mobile. Google's CEO mentioned a while back the big four Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft but didn't mention Facebook as it's just a site where people post links and chat and not a real competitor.

Apple who is arguably the strongest mobile competitor has the iPhone and iPad tablet which as of now nothing that comes close to it. This's all fueled by it's App Store and iTunes. Apple controls everything in it's ecosystem and makes huge money from it. It makes money from the phones and tablets which it both makes and sells, 30% of all apps and in app purchases, adverts, and even the music and movies we watch on these devices.

The next biggest is Google who has the newly re-branded play store where you can get apps, movies, music, games etc just like Apple's App Store. I know movies and music are only available in certain countries but it's growing and developing. They also have the Android phone which is the most popular OS with Google products like search, maps etc built into them. It's another large successful ecosystem that's developing.

Amazon have the Amazon Fire Tablet which has being very successful with which they promote their app store, movies and games. They'll likely release another tablet later this year and as they are cheaper are easier to afford for those who find the iPad expensive. They could also easily release a cheap smartphone like what they did with the tablet.

Microsoft are betting big on Mobile. They have their new partner is Nokia and are pushing hard their latest OS. The app store while not as big as Android or Apple's is goring very fast. When the new Windoes is released which links closely to mobile lots of users will find it easy to connect their mobiles and computers which is currently so easy on Apple's ecosystem.

So who's missing from the list? Facebook. It doesn't have a mobile OS, an App Store or make any money from mobiles. Their mobile site and it's apps have no adverts and they can't add in app purchases to their native apps as Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft would take 30% of everything they sell.
Facebook have over 800 million users but over 450 of these are mobile users. That means most of it's users use the site in a way they can't currently make money from. Facebook just paid one billion for the photo sharing app Instagram who has never made a penny either. Having lots of active users is good but unless you have a way to keep them locked into an ecosystem like the big four have and make money from them your going to have problems.
The world is going more and more Mobile and unless Facebook develop a way to make real money from users and not just a few adverts (Google is having trouble in mobile users clicking on less adverts than desktop users) they are going to be in trouble. If mobile devices actually become our wallets controlling our spend at the tills then this move now is even more important. Facebook need to act now and fast. They need an App Store, Mobile Browser or their own OS or they are going to struggle in years to come.

Mr Happy Reviewed by Mr Happy on 10th Apr 2012. Facebook App Store http://i.imgur.com/U1JOv.jpg I was thinking a lot about the way websites and technology is going. Everyone has noticed the push to mobile. Google's CEO mentioned a while back the big four Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft but didn't mention Facebook as it's just a site where people post links and chat and not a real competitor. Apple who is arguably the strongest mobile competitor has the iPhone and iPad tablet which as of now nothing that comes close to it. This's all fueled by Rating: 5

[CJ]

Well they already must be thinking this & who knows if they are already developing something like OS & would bring out with some manufacturer.

[Amz]

If the rumours are anything to go by, they are already working on it. There have been numerous mentions of an HTML5 app platform, that would give them a revenue source from apps.

As for mobile, that's Facebook's biggest challenge right now. Their mobile user numbers are continuously soaring and they have to work out a monetization technique that doesn't get in the way of users. Ads are out of the question. With the small screen real estate offered by mobile devices ads would be too intrusive. They might probably start showing sponsored stories in the news feed, which seems to be the only way at the moment.

They are definitely working on it and giving it a very high priority, I think. They would be foolish not to. It would be interesting to see what they come up with.

[filegrasper]

I never clicked Mobile ADs.