As more newspapers and magazines roll out iPad apps, development strategies are becoming more refined. Some apps are already on their second generation, while others, who waited to see how to best adapt their content to the iPad format, are releasing apps for the first time. Generally, the software has become more standardised and consistent, but there still exists diversity in how apps and tablet-friendly websites are presented and designed.

Poynter asked three very different publishers about their iPad strategies. Budgets and diverse goals seemed to be the main differentiating factors.

News & Record, a local North Carolina paper, had a modest approach to the iPad. The paper is concentrating on its online strategy, as it plans to charge for content. In light of this, the mobile app covers limited content and serves mostly as a feed to the online articles. By redirecting readers to the website, the paper hopes to build online readership.

Chris Brewer, the digital media director, spoke with Poynter about the app's more primitive format. There are no plans to improve the app until a full strategy for paid content has been developed. He describes the app as "just something we could get out there and dabble with and see what happens."

CNN has been one of the pioneers in digital field, and its app is no different. The software was released with the idea that the tablet would be used while watching TV. The format reflects the visual experience of television. The focus is on still and video images, and the developers are even considering a new "iReport" feature, to integrate the new iPad's cameras. CNN is monitoring downloads and traffic to determine app success.

The article also examines Better Homes & Gardens' new app, which was rewritten from the original format that focused on text-based pieces and a few photos that reflected the magazine's content. The new format is interactive, allowing users to push buttons to change design elements in pictures, such as the wallpaper in a dining room.

One learning curve in the development process was determining who was in charge of what content. Originally, nearly all the magazine's contributors helped with the app process. Now only two designers and a few copy editors deal with the app.

The vice president of CNN's mobile, Louis Gump, explained that while apps were important, they did not override the need for a website tailored to the iPad. In this light, it seems that the Android has been forgotten. According to MediaPost, popular sites have given iPad websites more attention than the Android's. Of the 200 sites surveyed, 84% used the same web format for the Android tablet as they did for Android mobiles. As current tablets have big screens and more capacity for interactive experiences, the mobile sites look empty and devoid of graphics. Nearly all of the same sites had specific versions for the iPad.

The New York Post has not been developing an iPad or an Android centered site, as Paid Content reported. It recently blocked Safari online access to its online edition in order to promote its iPad app.

Rather than implementing a paywall on the site to encourage app use, the NY Post turned its online website into a sort of advertisement for the app. The front page is completely blocked. To access the site, users must use a different browser entirely, such as Skyfire or Opera Mini. The move has been widely criticised online.

The New York Post is not the first publication to attempt this maneuver. The German tabloid Bild.de did it first - the iPad browser will not show Bild's website, even though content is free if accessed by a PC.

This move is puzzling when considering a survey last November in Business Insider. The survey concluded that slightly more iPad owners choose to read news on the Safari web browser than on native apps. Blocking these users entirely is unlikely to make them move en mass to the paid app content (they will likely use a way to circumvent the barrier or choose another news source entirely), unless the app has something that the site doesn't.

In that case, the app should be touted as an alternative to the site, with features it lacks. Better Homes & Gardens and CNN are honing these features to keep tablet users interested in their content. Regardless of development strategy, all news sites that adapt to tablets must consider which platform will receive the most attention: apps, tablet-friendly websites, or both?

Sources: Poynter, Media Post, Paid Content, Business Insider, EJC

Photo Credit: Inhabitat, MediaPost