If there is one subject that consistently confuses entrepreneurs is whether they should build a website that is optimised for mobile users or if they should build a mobile app. It goes without saying that both have the benefits and both have their disadvantages.
So in this article, I will be comparing the two in a mobile app vs mobile website war.
What Are The Differences Between a Mobile App & a Mobile Website
Before you build a mobile app, or you decide to make a new WordPress account to build a website you need to understand what the differences between a website and an app are. If you go into this blind and do not know who you want to target and why then you will surely fail.
Then what are the main differences?
As you may know, websites are HTML pages that are linked together and can be accessed off the internet. The mobile version of a website is simply the website optimised for a handheld screen. Features can include, Videos, Images, different types of text content etc.
However, this can ONLY be viewed online and users who do not have an internet connection at the time will not be able to access your web page.
Since 2015, Google has been slowly hinting that websites that aren’t also mobile friendly will slowly decline in terms of their SERP (Search Engine Result Page). This will only affect your mobile traffic, however, more people actually use mobile when searching than a desktop.
Thanks to Telegraph’s article Mobile web usage overtakes desktop for the first time, you can take a further look into the mobile use and why people tend to use mobile phones over desktops.
Mobile apps, on the other hand, can be viewed offline as well as online. Since they are downloaded and installed onto your phone, mobile apps have the ability to pull information from online sources and can also have content that users can use offline.
The Difference Types of Users They Bring
Mobile apps take a lot more time to build and cost much more than it would build a website optimised around mobile.
So, what’s the point of building one?
Building an app is important to a business who is looking to grow a number of loyal customers they have. Did you know that Average person now spends more time on their phone and laptop than sleeping?
According to the Daily Mail, your average person usually spends over 8 hours and 40 minutes every day.
It’s much more difficult to get people who do not know & trust your brand to download your app. So when building an app you should build the app around customers who already know and trust your company.
In contrast, having a mobile optimised website should be used if you’re looking for exposure. When looking for information, most people tend to look for a trustworthy website to get that information from.
This can help grow your brand and if done right, increase your downloads for your mobile app.
How Your Users View Your Content: Online vs Offline
Lastly, this question can be more difficult to answer than it seems.
Some features you may have can only work online so you would need users to have an internet connection.
Building an app though more expensive is worth the expense because you can have a more versatile product. As mentioned before, apps are usually built for users who already know the company.
So having the ability to interact with your business online & offline is a huge benefit.
A mobile website would be a good option if you’re looking to have inexpensive content out there for people to see.
Which is Best For Your Business?
Mobile sites are a must have in this day and age. Here are some funny examples of huge companies not taking full advantage of this.
Reaching new customers is important so before you decide if you want to build a mobile app or a mobile website focus on what your actual goal is.
Building a loyal user base is just as important for a company, so if you’re looking to build an app with experienced developers, you can book a free consultation with us.
