Installed apps have lots more stable monetisation options (e.g: getting paid to load an sdk which runs a proxy), and not to mention they can more easily scoop-up alot more data.
Most of the claims companies like Reddit make about security/anti-spam benefits is simply not true. Once you require user to create an account/login it makes no real difference. Everything you need for the frontend can be done with JS, HTML & CSS, and the apps themselves on ios/android are nearly-always just that.
As for losing customers, I need to use Reddit to make Google effective - and Reddit knows this. They have a massive amount of power to force mobile users to use an app if they wish to. Given it comes with massive revenue-potential, why wouldn't they?
It's also much more difficult to get an adblocker working to block apps. I'd bet the majority of Reddit's users have an adblocker extension installed on their browser, but a very small percentage have system-wide or network-wide adblockers.
Most of the claims companies like Reddit make about security/anti-spam benefits is simply not true. Once you require user to create an account/login it makes no real difference. Everything you need for the frontend can be done with JS, HTML & CSS, and the apps themselves on ios/android are nearly-always just that.
As for losing customers, I need to use Reddit to make Google effective - and Reddit knows this. They have a massive amount of power to force mobile users to use an app if they wish to. Given it comes with massive revenue-potential, why wouldn't they?