Survey says: Mobile apps aren't all that

Are there too many mobile apps? Are apps any better for mobile commerce than a mobile website?

A recent survey by Adobe offers a glimpse into what business executives think of apps. Eighty percent of 446 companies surveyed said they are planning or already have an m-commerce website, but just 8 percent said they had a downloadable application-only strategy.

Apps make sense when the company has added functionality not available on its mobile site. But many are nothing more than glorified bookmarks hogging up memory on a mobile device.

An app-only strategy is dangerous because it excludes a portion of a company's customer base. Not everyone has iPhones, BlackBerries or Android phones. I don't come across many press releases (or any really) touting a new app for the Samsung Intercept. One tech company CEO even told me this week that BlackBerry apps aren't a priority for many developers because few of the device's users download them. (I guess I'm an exception.)