The way we use the internet is changing yet again. As more people move over to smartphones, mobile apps are becoming more commonly used than websites.

Studies show that as a result of this changing trend, internet users have chosen to simplify their online experience, with the average person limiting himself to using 7 of his favorite apps with frequency. These will usually include Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks. The remaining apps are usually based on personal interest, so designers are scrambling to fill the gaps and build the best app for whichever niche market they need to serve.

Streamlining the internet experience into a few apps has allowed social networks like Facebook dominate the way the people view and understand news. A Pew Research Center study, released several months before the recent Facebook news-suppression scandal, showed that 62% of people use social networks as their major news source, an increase from the 49% in 2012.

On the other hand, the emergence of mobile apps as the dominant online platform has allowed marketers to utilize services like the live video options many social networks offer and Facebook Instant Articles to connect with a greater number of people than they would have ever been able to reach beforehand.

While the website’s days may be limited, what comes next offers many creative opportunities. Both designers and marketers alike need to venture more deeply into the world of apps and innovate.