With many of our customers reporting that mobile traffic now exceeds desktop traffic, the responsive design for mobile Web versus app debate is relevant and always exciting. Those still trying to make sense of this debate are not alone. But we have been looking at our own data to evaluate mobile web against mobile apps, and have found that apps are still essential for local media.

At the beginning of 2012, many companies set out to produce mobile apps for their business. A year later, and many apps are still under development and over budget. We believe 2012 was the year of “costly mobile experimentation.“

So, where does this leave companies as we begin 2013? We identified five mobile trends, based around the notion that marketers – not technology teams – will be tasked with creating mobile apps in the New Year.