Mobile App Or Mobile Website: What Should You Go For?
Today companies are increasingly aware of the fact that we need to embrace a mobile strategy. Not just the mobile internet user, but the app users have surpassed the desktop users. This shift has pushed companies to re-think their mobile strategies. The grappling question is whether they should go for a mobile app or mobile website.
There is always this argument to move forward with a website that looks good on mobile device rather than taking a note of a mobile app in leveraging your business strategy. To cut through this with a deeper digging of myriad factors that needs to be considered before decisively taking any action. It actually becomes difficult to determine where to focus your efforts when it comes to mobile mediums. Here you will find some break through factors to help you align a mobile strategy that suits your business objectives.
THE STATS: MOBILE APP VS MOBILE WEB
In 2015 alone, the mobile app industry generated $41.1 billion in gross income revenue, which is likely to increase up to $189 billion by 2020 as shared by an App Annie Report. With consumer demands for more and more app, the predictable analysis of Gartner report goes as “above 268 mobile downloads to generate an income of $77 billion by the end of 2017”
Mobile is taking an exponential leap over the desktop usage with a report from Google that more searches are being made on mobile than on desktop. According to eMarketer consumers are spending more time on mobile than on any other media platforms.
Time spent on mobile has increased by seven minutes with a sum of 3 hours and 15 minutes per day right from the year 2016 to 2017. It is even more surprising that time spent on TV viewing has decreased by 5 minutes. So companies need to be aware of the fact where the customers are spending more time, else they would lose them soon.
UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE: MOBILE APP AND MOBILE WEB
A browser used HTML pages linked together is exactly what a mobile website is – with a responsively designed platform adjustable to different screen size and layouts. Mobile websites can display text contents, data, images with call to action and location based mapping. Mobile apps are those applications that are downloaded and used on mobile users’ device- that can pull content and data from similar websites with a feature of downloading contents without an Internet connection. Let us dive into more depth so that you can precisely take your decision when going for a mobile strategy for your business objective.
PROS: MOBILE APP
A native mobile app is developed on a particular platform like iOS or Android, written in a language of operating system that is installed in the device itself. Apps are separate from an organization’s website with an extension of their brands.
- Branding Opportunities
Mobile app has the ability to offer new opportunities to users’ being a complete separate entity from company’s website. This enables companies to experiment with new branding tactics and styles of mobile app. If enough value is not able to be added to your customers through your website, you ought to go for a mobile app that offers user with another engagement platform.
- Personalization
With mobile app it is easy to offer a tailored user experience based on their interest, location, usage behaviour etc and customize it to suit their needs. Mobile Apps help track user engagement offering custom recommendation and updates to users. With the help of mobile app geography specific content is promoted at a particular store location.
- Leverage Device Functionalities
For retail apps having access to device capabilities is significantly important since these enhance customer experiences. Other than a satisfied customer experience there is no single truth to this subject. The context and hyper-relevance is a key way to win the digital customers- this is done effectively by a mobile app, acting as an extension of brand with few possibilities like: notifications, call to action, alerts, camera and instant updates.
- Offline Access with Customer Engagement
The best part is Mobile Apps can run without Internet connection anywhere and anytime with there own interface enabling user to become more enagaged in mobile experience.
- Brand Presence
You leverage your brand through your customers device , where users are still reminded of the brand associated with the app even if they are not actively using mobile app. Rather than being redesigned in website , mobile apps are effectively designed keeping mobile experience in mind.
PROS : MOBILE WEBSITE
- Broader Audience Expansion
A mobile website is more accessible and esily shared with better search engine interface than a mobile app.
- Cost Effective
Mobile Website is more cost effective than mobile app development depending upon the complexity.
- Brand Visibility
Mobile optimized sites are ranked high than non optimized sites fetching greater brand visibility and website traffic.
Mobile websites may be cost effective but when it comes to personalization and user enagagement they have their own limitations – since they can’t leverage other feature of mobile capabilities easily.
The network access, speed and quality are keys to effect mobile web experience relieing on the networks used to access it. With limitations of user navigations , mobile website have chances to frustrate users. Therefore to lower the conversion rates that may effect your brand image one should move few steps forward to enhance more user engagement.
WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU GO FOR?
Learn to analyze your business objective: if your goal is to offer mobile friendly content then go for a mobile website. However if you want a huge user enagement and drive customer loyalty , a mobile app is an excellent choice. You need to do the right choice at the right time , where both mobile app and mobile website could be a strategic and valuable choice for your business. This pronged approach should be taken very meticulously for your brands’ mobile strategy.
Image Ref : Amazon
