Posts Tagged ‘Responsive’

Mobile Website vs. Mobile Apps – Which One Shines a Brighter Spotlight?

January 14th, 2016

Mobile marketing has really taken off big time. There is no denying the fact that the smartphone has become an inevitable part of our daily life. Brands cannot ignore them anymore when it comes to marketing and branding strategies.

Entrepreneurs or those owning an online business, know the importance of mobile devices. Otherwise, you would be losing much of your audience DAILY! If you want to be in the game, the shifting goal posts only makes things harder. To be at the cusp, you have to choose right. And there are just two choices – mobile app or mobile website. What’s it gonna be?

Black or White – Is Mobile Marketing Really that Simple!

When you wish to chart into the waters of mobile marketing, the question is what is best for your business – a mobile website or a mobile app, or both. At first glance, mobile websites and apps may appear similar to you, but there is difference. Whether you should go for a website or an app depends up on several factors including:

  • Target audience
  • Budget
  • Purpose to be solved
  • Type of features required

Let’s dig a little deeper to solve the conundrum.

What Differentiates a Mobile Website from an Application

Before jumping to any conclusion, you should know the actual difference between a mobile website and an app. The major difference between a mobile website and a standard website is that it is designed for smartphones and touch-screen interface. On the contrary, apps are downloaded and installed on the mobile device and doesn’t have to do anything with a browser.

How to make the Final Call

The final call should solely depend on your business goals. If you just want to reach out to a large chunk of audience and spread the word about your brand through your content, then a mobile-friendly website is the ideal solution. However, if you have developed a game, then you should go for an app. Creating an app is more beneficial, even if you don’t have a website in place considering the huge -on-the-go’ users out there.

In brief, if you want to accomplish a specific purpose, a web browser may no have ubiquitous response. Simply develop an app! Otherwise, for a mobile web presence, nothing beats a mobile-friendly website.

All In Favor of Mobile Website

If public communication and online marketing is your primary goal, then a mobile website makes a lot of sense.

  • Accessibility – Mobile websites are instantly available whereas apps need to be downloaded and installed.
  • Intuitive – Mobile websites are more dynamic and flexible than apps.
  • Sharing – It is easy to share the URLs of mobile website allowing your brand to connect to audience quickly.
  • Cost Savings – Mobile websites are time and cost-effective. Even ongoing development and upgrades are less expensive.
  • Reachability – Mobile websites can be easily found in search results, but apps are only found in the app stores.

All in Favor of an App

Despite of the benefits of mobile webs, the apps are still soaring in popularity. Why so? There are various specific scenarios where an app dominates a website hands-on. Developing an app makes sense when:

  • You are developing an interactive game. A website would not deliver similar success story.
  • You are providing some service that your audience will use on a regular basis through their mobile device.
  • You need something to manage your data the way you want. Data on device is more secure than other sources.
  • If you are providing a solution that can function without a network, an app is the right way to go.

Conclusion

Before you get into this ‘app vs web’ war, carefully understand your business’s goals. If your business goals are marketing-driven and you want a solid presence on the search engines, then a mobile website has to be the perfect choice. On the other hand, if you want to engage your users and require something similar to a computer program, an app is the right choice for you.

Alas, we didn’t actually solved the dilemma but gave you enough pathways to walk onto as per your requirements. Which path you take depends on what serves your purpose.