The mobile web is arguably in decline: users are spending more time on mobile devices, and more time in apps instead of web browsers. Apple has joined the app side of this battle (e.g. allowing ad blockers in Safari, encouraging app install smart banners above websites). Facebook has also taken the app side (e.g. encouraging publishers to use Instant Articles instead of web views). Writes Chris Dixon
Google of course needs a vibrant web for its search engine to remain useful, so has joined the web side of the battle (e.g. punishing websites that have interstitial app ads, developing technologies that reduce website loading times). The realistic danger isn’t that the web disappears, but that it gets marginalized, and that the bulk of monetizable internet activities happen in apps or other interfaces like voice or messaging bots. This shift could have a significant effect on web publishers who rely on older business models like non-native ads, and could make it harder for small startups to grow beyond niche use cases.
Read more from the source: The Internet Economy