NY Times Launches Subscribers-Only Web-Based iPad App

There’s a lot of buzz about The New York Times’ new Web-based iPad app. Here’s what you need to know as a subscription site

There’s a lot of buzz about The New York Times’ new Web-based iPad app. Here’s what you need to know as a subscription site executive:

The app is Web-based and uses HTML5 technology. This means that the app is not “native,” but can be updated without having to go through Apple store approval –thereby cutting down production-to-distribution time.
In addition, users will not have to update the app, since it’s automatically updated when the Web browser is launched.
The app is only available to subscribers, unlike the native app, which lets non-subscribers sample NYT’s content.
Non-subscribers can subscribe to both the site and the Web app for 99 cents for the first four weeks. After four weeks, the subscription price jumps to $5 or $8.75 a week, depending on the level of access.
The New York Time is not abandoning its Apple store native app, but rather experimenting with the flexibility of HTML5 Web-based apps, like including a Trending section promoting the most popular NYT stores on Twitter.

What does this mean for your site?Well, for one, subscriber-only apps may be a revenue or retention strategy worth exploring.And two, if you’re publishing apps, now may be a good time to explore Web-based apps using HTML5.But beware — app stores give an air of credibility to unknown publishers. Web-based apps have only really been touted by big name publishers, like The Financial Times, The Economist and now The New York Times. If you don’t have strong brand recognition and consumer trust (i.e., users are not skeptical that your app will infect their computer devices), then going through the app store may be a better bet, especially if your app is free.On the other hand, it’s much better to sell app subscriptions through your own site than the app store.