From BBC to BuzzFeed: lessons in mobile publishing

theguardian reporting:
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The mobile tipping point happened for the BBC earlier this year. It’s happened for the Guardian, where the mobile traffic accounts for around 60% at weekends. And the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) reports that more people now access retail sites via mobile than desktop, by a ratio of 52 to 48.
But what does this trend mean for those involved in digital publishing? How does it inform the decisions publishers, editors, journalists and content sellers make? At the Press Gazette’s News on the Move conference earlier this month, five well-known media brands shared some lessons in mobile publishing.
1. Plan for the extended internet day – and week..
2. Think format
That’s format as in layout and format as in genre. “It’s about making [the text] scannable, quite modular,” said Nathalie Malinarich, mobile editor for BBC News
3. Remember, the web still rules

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Smartphone and tablet users prefer news websites to news apps. At least that’s what the traffic figures suggest. At the Guardian, 20% of total page views come from the app while some 40% of page views come from mobile users visiting the website. What does this mean? It means you should have a robust business case before embarking on an app project. If you can’t make the case then a responsive, mobile-friendly website is probably the way to go. At least in the short term.
4. Use apps to upsell
5. Don’t forget the role of social media
7. It’s the content, stupid
For Alan Hunter, head of digital at The Times and The Sunday Times, it’s not principally about device or technology – it’s about the quality of the editorial. “Really great stories are what sell digital products. All our best hits, best dwell time are on the best stories,” Hunter said.” “You can’t put lipstick on a pig and hope it’s going to look good.”
http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/2014/oct/30/lessons-mobile-publishing-buzzfeed-bbc?CMP=new_1194