This is the introduction to a five-part series of articles that we will run over the next week on the mobile web versus application debate that is raging in the mobile world.

We get asked all the time by customers what’s the best way to reach mobile consumers – through the mobile internet or through a mobile application. With all the hype out there on applications, everyone thinks that apps are the way to go. We wholeheartedly disagree. While apps have all the hype and sex appeal, they are not the best way to promote your company and brand on mobile devices, especially over the long haul. While apps can provide some short-term bang, what happens when the novelty wears off? When a user changes phones or carriers, how do you keep your brand in front of the mobile consumer? In our view, developing a strong presence on the mobile internet provides a much better return on investment, more flexibility, and a longer lasting brand presence than applications.

We have already written an article or two on the subject (Smartphone apps are NOT the answer, Are smartphone applications technology progression or regression?), but over the next week we are going to get into more detail and run a series of articles that will explore the mobile web versus mobile application debate.

• Monday – Mobile apps: Why the hype?
• Tuesday – The hidden costs of mobile development
• Wednesday – Where the burden lies: consumer, developer, manufacturer, or carrier
• Thursday – Content matters: static or dynamic
• Friday – The future of the mobile web and apps

In preparation for next week, here’s some recommended readings so you can get up to speed and see what others have had to say about the topic. Do your homework, read the articles, and I look forward to your comments and engaging in a lively discussion next week!

• From burning the bacon by Phil Barret: Mobile Wap vs. App – what is a marketer to do?
• From Mobile Tech Today: Google, Apple: Two Mobile Software Versions
• From VentureBeat: Apps or browser? GetJar vs. Google on the future of mobile services
• From Trilibis Mobile: Mobile Web vs. Apps: Closing the Functionality Gap