Going mobile was a fundamentally smart move for Facebook. Giving people on-the-go access to the most popular social media site seemed like a no-brainer. But it’s no secret that Facebook’s app couldn’t keep up with their mobile users. Instead of fast and functional, it was slow and glitchy.

And considering 543 million Facebook users are mobile, the backlash had a big impact.

Facebook had the right idea. So where did they go wrong? Mark Zuckerberg recently admitted that focusing too much on HTML5 is what dragged them down. And after two years of trying to improve their web-based app, they realized it wasn’t going to get any better.

“The biggest mistake we made as a company was betting too much on HTML5," said Zuckerberg. "We need to have something at the highest quality level. The only way we’re going to get there is by going native.”

What’s so special about going native? Native apps are more reliable because they don’t depend on the Internet to function. That means no connectivity issues. They’re also fast and responsive—giving people the mobile experience they want and expect.

Considering mobile users are more likely to be daily active users than desktop users, it’s worth it to invest in a high-speed app that provides people with a consistent experience. The better experience they have, the more time they’ll spend using your app.

Facebook has already seen good results from going native. The number of stories people consume have doubled since launching the most recent version of the iOS app.

The takeaway for event organizers: Web-based apps are limited. If you want to provide attendees with a fast-working app that'll offer more capabilities and enhance their experience at your event, go with a native app.

What are the main benefits to going native? Check out this infographic to see why we focus on building native apps for events. Or learn the top 5 reasons why the leaders of the tech industry support native app development.