Deep Linking Between Apps

Apple recently released an SDK for iOS 8 with over 4,000 APIs. During the WWDC keynote, Extensibility was briefly mentioned. Extensibility allows apps to share services with other apps, interact with Notification Center, and develop custom keyboards. I recently wrote an article about deep linking between apps, in response to an article published in InformationWeek. Extensibility reminded me of the timely nature of this InformationWeek article, I wanted to share it on my blog. This article does not focus on Extensibility in iOS 8, but some of my thoughts about the business implications and technical concerns of deep linking between mobile apps.

The current state of the web uses links to enable ad networks and affiliate programs to build large networks, which route paid traffic on the web. For instance, links have enabled Google to build PageRank and show pages in results that are reputable, important, and relevant to users. Currently, mobile and tablet apps do not link to one another like content is link on the web. The author of the article believes this will change over the next 5 years, enabling the same large networks that currently exist on the web.

Starting in 2007, the first requirement was to build content. Developers have now produced over 2 million apps to date, with smartphone users spending 80% of their time in apps. Innovative app developers and strategic marketers are taking advantage of the app ecosystem, by using deep links in marketing channels that send users directly to specific pages in within their app, which drives engagement and higher modes of monetization.

In theory, deep linking makes sense based on the structure of the web, as it exists today. Content is connected together in a logical sense, so users can find and use information in a constructive manner. Layout and user interface design are typically a focus when creating a successful web presence. If apps behave the same way, marketers could take advantage of mobile platforms in a similar fashion. Certain platforms, such as iOS, are providing a similar deep linking functionality with built-in features.

With the increase in mobile platforms, marketers are already using it for several functions including advertising, sales, and promotions. Deep linking would enable businesses to embed sales and marketing functions on mobile platforms. A possible example might include a catalog app, which would connect and suggest products within the catalog app itself.  Another scenario could include in-app advertising, where a user clicks the ad and is brought to a specific section within the app. Deep linking could also leverage location-based technologies, such as iBeacon, to improve shopping experiences in brick-and-mortar retail environments.

Deep linking also has market research implications. If app developers are able to track activity within an app, and this information can be reviewed by marketers, they will better understand how their customer use technology/apps in order to make purchasing decisions. Essentially, deep linking could offer analytics very similar to what the web does today, in order to improve apps for end users by gathering demographic and usability information.

Security could be an issue when designing solutions using deep linking. iOS 7 does not allow apps to share information between each other, which is called application sandboxing. This build-in security is attractive to many corporate IT personnel, since it helps enable the separation of corporate and personal data an iOS device. If deep linking is an API option, which Extensibility allows for in iOS 8, developers can manipulate and code data to be shared between apps.  As a result, the approach to security on an iOS device might have to be recreated or reengineered. Apple has responded to this with Extensibility.

While deep linking has several business implications, there needs to be careful consideration in manufacturers’ approach to mobile device security.